Issued  February  10,  1914. 

U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  THE  HOOD  RIVER- 
WHITE  SALMON  RIVER  AREA, 
OREGON  WASHINGTON. 


BY 


A.  T.  STRAHORN  and  E.  B.  WATSON, 


J.IACY  H.  TjAPHAM,  Inspector  in  Charge  Western  Division. 


[Advance  Sheets— Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1912.] 


UCLA  SEL/Geology  Collection 


UAN  2  0  2005 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVKRNMENT  PRINTING   OFFICE. 

1914. 


BUREAU    OF   SOILS. 


Milton  Whitney,  Chief  of  Bureau. 
Albert  G.  Rice,  Chief  Clerk. 

SOIL    SURVEY. 

Curtis  F.  Marbut.  In  Charge. 
G.  W.  Baumann,  Executive  Assistant. 

COMiMITTEE    ON    THE    CORRELATION    AND    CLASSIFICATION    OF    SOILS. 

Curtis  F.  Marbut,  Chairman. 
Hugh  H.  Bennett,  Inspector,  Southern  Division. 
J.  E.  Lapham,  In.spector,  Northern  Division. 
Macy  H.  Lapham,  Inspector,  Western  Division. 

J.  W.  McKerichbr,  Secretary. 


Issued  February  10,  1914. 

U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  THE  HOOD  RIVER- 
WHITE  SALMON  RIVER  AREA, 
OREGON-WASHLNGTON. 


BT 


A.  T.  STRAHORX  and  E.  B.  WATSOX. 


MACY  H.  LAPHAM,  Inspector  in  Charge  Western  Division. 


[Advance  Sheets — Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1912.] 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVEKNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1914. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  or  Agriculture, 

Bureau  of  Soils, 

Washington,  D.  C,  May  29,  1913. 
Sir:  One  of    the  })rojects  undertaken  by  the  bureau  during  the 
field  season  of  1912  was  the  survey  of  the  Hood  River- White  Salmon 
River   area,    Oregon-Washington.     Tliis   survey   was   requested   by 
many  prominent  citizens  of  the  area. 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewitli  tlie  manuscript  report  and 
map  covermg  this  area  and  to  recommend  their  pubhcation  as 
advance  sheets  of  Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils  for  1912, 
as  provided  by  law. 

Respectfully,  Milton  Whitney, 

CJiiej  oj  Bureau. 
'Hon.  D.  F.  Houston, 

Secretary  oj  Aijriculture . 
2 


CONTENTS, 


Geol. 
Lib. 


Page. 
Soil  Survey  of  the  Hood  River-White  Salmon  River  Area,  Oregon- 
Washington.     By  A.  T.  Strahorn  and  E.  B.  Watson 5 

Description  of  the  area 5 

Climate 10 

Agriculture 12 

Soils 20 

Underwood  loam 24 

Underwood  stony  loam 26 

Rough  stony  land 27 

Rockford  stony  clay  loam 27 

Rockford  clay 29 

Parkdale  loam 30 

Hood  silt  loam. .  .• 32 

Wind  River  stony  loam 34 

Wind  River  gravelly  sandy  loam 35 

Wind  River  sandy  loam 36 

Wind  River  fine  sandy  loam 37 

Wind  River  loam 39 

Winans  gravelly  sandy  loam 40 

Winans  loam 41 

Columbia  fine  sandy  loam 42 

Riverwash 43 

Summary 43 

3 


ILLUSTRATIONS, 


PLATES  . 

Page. 

Plate  I.  Gorge  of  the  Hood  River,  south  of  Dee,  showing  forest  growth  on  the 

soils  of  the  Underwood  series 8 

II.  View  in  the  Upper  Hood  River  Valley  about  2  miles  west  of  Parkdale, 

Oreg. ,  showing  topography  and  forest  growth  on  Parkdale  loam . .  8 

III.  Strawberries  on  the  Wind  River  sandy  loam,  about  2  miles  south  of 

the  town  of  Hood  River 16 

IV.  West  Fork  of  the  Hood  River  at  the  head  of  the  Devils  Punch  Bowl, 

1  mile  west  of  Winans 24 

V.  Young  apple  orchard  on  soils  of  the  Wind  River  series.  Hood  River 

Valley 24 

FIGURE. 

Fig.  1.  Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Hood  River- White  Salmon  River 
area,  Oregon- Washington 5 

MAP. 

Soil  map,  Hood  River- White  Salmon  River  sheet,  Oregon- Washington. 
4 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  THE  HOOD   RIVER-WHITE  SALMON 
RIVER  AREA,  OREGON-WASHINGTON. 

By  A.  T.  STRAHORN  and  E.  B.  WATSON. 
DESCRIPTION   OF  THE   AEEA. 

The  Hood  River- White  Salmon  River  area  covers  about  226  square 
miles,  or  144,640  acres,  of  mountain,  valley,  and  river-bottom  land  in 
or  adjoining  the  Hood  River  and  White  Salmon  River  Valleys,  in  the 
States  of  Oregon  and  Washington. 

The  Hood  River  Valley  is  a  depression  of  irregular  outline  lying  in 
Hood  River  County  in  the  central  part  of  Oregon.  It  is  just  west  of 
the  principal  axis  of  the  Cascade  Range,  and  is  bordered  on  the  east 
by  a  low  spur  of  that  range. 

Mount  Hood,  with  an  elevation  of  11,226  feet  above  sea  level,  marks 
the  extreme  upper  or  southern  end  of  the  valley,  and  its  permanent 


Fig.  1.— Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Hood  River- 'SMiite  Salmon  River  area,  Oregon-Washington. 

mantle  of  snow  and  ice  contributes  not  only  to  the  flow  in  Hood 
River  and  its  numerous  tributaries,  but  also  to  that  of  a  number  of 
streams  lying  west  of  the  Cascades. 

Hood  River  is  a  perennial  stream,  flowing  over  rocks  and  bowlders, 
and   because  of  its  rocky,  timbered  gorge  is  considered  one  of  the 

5 


6  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,  1912. 

most  picturesque  streams  iii  the  Northwest.  For  about  18  miles 
above  its  confluence  with  the  Cokmibia  it  follows  a  single  channel 
carved  deep  in  the  country  rock.  Above  this  pomt  several  branches 
flow  into  the  river  from  the  Cascade  Range,  from  the  northern  and 
eastern  slopes  of  Mount  Hood,  draining  a  region  covered  with  dense 
virgm  forest.     (PL  I.) 

The  so-called  Hood  River  Valley  is  a  basui,  the  surface  of  which  is 
a  series  of  plateaulike  flats,  lying  at  elevations  of  100  to  500  feet  above 
the  beds  of  the  streams  and  hiclosed  by  the  steeply  slopmg  sides  of  the 
adjacent  mountains  and  hills.  It  is  divided  mto  three  more  or  less 
distmct  and  conspicuous  topographic  divisions,  kno\\^l  as  the  Upper, 
Middle,  and  Lower  Valleys.  The  land  surface  of  the  extreme  southern 
part  of  the  valley,  or  Upper  Valley,  is  that  of  a  dissected  plain,  having 
a  pronounced  northward  slope.  It  extends  northward  to  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  drainage  courses  or  to  a  prominent  ridge  occurring  in  the 
central  part  of  T.  1  N.  This  elevation,  a  short  distance  from  Mount 
Hood  post  office,  forms  the  boundary  between  the  Upper  and  Middle 
Valleys. 

The  Middle  Valley  consists  of  but  a  few  hundred  acres  of  gently 
sloping  land,  the  drainage  of  which  is  northward  through  Neal  Creek 
Canyon  into  Hood  River. 

A  somewhat  precipitous  mountam,  east  of  Hood  River,  havmg  an 
elevation  of  about  3,000  feet  and  extendmg  eastward  from  near 
Bloucher  and  Trout  Creek  on  the  Mount  Plood  Railroad,  with  a  low 
ridge  between  it  and  the  mountains  along  the  eastern  margin  of  the 
area,  forms  the  boundary  between  the  Middle  and  Lower  Valleys. 
Along  the  northern  slope  of  this  ridge  there  is  a  small  plateau,  known 
as  Willow  Flat,  extending  from  Odell  Creek  eastward  to  Neal  Creek. 
This  plateau  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  a  steep  slope,  which  is  nearly 
coincident  with  the  boundary  between  the  Underwood  loam  and  the 
lower  lymg  Hood  silt  loam,  just  south  of  Odell.  (See  soil  map.) 
From  this  northern  boundary  of  Willow  Flat  and  the  spur  of  mountain 
near  Bloucher  and  extendmg  northward  to  the  Columbia  River  lies 
what  is  known  as  the  Lower  Valley.  With  the  exception  of  the  deep, 
tortuous  channels  of  the  streams  and  a  few  mmor  elevations,  such  as 
Van  Horn  Butte  and  Lentz  Butte,  the  land  surface  slopes  quite  uni- 
formly to  the  northward,  and  the  larger  part  of  it  is  without  any 
marked  irregularities.  The  elevation  of  this  part  of  the  valley  is  from 
500  to  1,200  feet  above  sea  level. 

The  Hood  River  Valley  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  intrenched 
valley  and  gorge  of  the  Columbia  River.  The  level  portion  of  the 
vaUey  is  separated  from  this  gorge  by  precipitous  walls  of  basalt  and 
by  steep  rocky  slopes  followmg  an  ii-regular  Ime  one-half  mile  to  a 


HOOD  RIVER-WHITE   SALMON    RIVER  AREA.  7 

mile  from  and  roughly  parallel  to  the  course  of  the  stream.  Al- 
though a  part  of  these  slopes  is  not  too  steep  for  cultivation,  other 
conditions  are  seldom  favorable.  Between  the  steep  and  precipitous 
slopes  and  cliffs  and  the  Columbia  River  there  is  a  long,  narrow 
area  of  land,  lying  but  little  above  the  usual  level  of  the  water  in  the 
stream.  The  surface  of  this  strip  is  more  or  less  gullied  as  a  result 
of  annual  overflows,  and  in  the  lower  places  marsh}-  conditions  exist 
for  a  greater  part  of  the  year. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  valley  the  mountains  rise  abruptly  from 
the  valley  floor  to  elevations  of  4,000  feet  or  more  above  sea  level. 
The  lower  slopes  are  included  within  this  survey.  •  From  Bloucher 
southward  along  the  main  channel  of  Hood  River  to  the  mouth  of 
the  West  Fork  of  that  stream  and  along  the  latter  fork  the  mountains 
rise  almost  precipitously  from  the  stream  and  vertical  cliffs  of  colum- 
nar basalt  are  frequently  exposed. 

The  low  range  of  mountains  which  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of 
the  Hood  River  Valley  represents  a  spur  of  the  Cascade  Range,  branch- 
ing out  near  the  base  of  Mount  Hood  and  terminating  in  rocky  bluffs  or 
to  nearly  vertical  cliffs  along  the  Columbia  River.  The  western  slopes 
of  this  range,  some  of  which  are  included  within  the  survey,  are 
mainly  too  steep  for  cultivation,  are  generally  rocky,  and  are  less 
heavily  timbered  than  the  mountains  on  the  western  side  of  the  area. 

That  portion  of  the  area  including  the  White  Salmon  River  Valley 
in  the  State  of  Washington  lies  directly  across  the  Columbia  River 
from  the  Hood  River  Valley  in  Oregon.  A  few  square  miles  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  this  section  of  the  area  lies  in  Skamania  Coimty 
and  the  remainder  is  in  Klickitat  County.  The  term  Wliite  Salmon 
Valley,  as  generally  used,  refers  to  the  drainage  basin  of  the  WTiite 
Salmon  River.  There  is  but  little  land  included  within  the  present 
valley  of  the  White  Salmon  River  in  tliis  portion  of  the  area,  and  this 
consists  of  a  narrow,  irregular  strip  on  each  side  of  the  river.  The 
balance  of  tliis  portion  of  the  area  consists  of  rolling  or  undulating 
land,  intrenched  by  the  present  stream  valley  and  surrounded  by 
hills  and  mountains  with  moderate  to  steep  slopes. 

At  the  extreme  northern  end  of  the  valley  is  Mount  Adams,  with 
an  elevation  of  12,470  feet  above  sea  level,  whose  upper  slopes 
are  covered  with  perpetual  snow  and  glaciers.  The  \Vhite  Salmon 
River  receives  the  drainage  from  its  southern  and  southwestern 
slopes,  and  following  a  southerly  course  enters  the  Columbia  River 
at  a  point  nearly  opposite  the  mou<h  of  the  Hood  River.  The 
gradual  melting  of  the  snow  and  ice  affords  a  never-failing  supply 
of  water  in  the  White  Salmon  River. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  White  Salmon  River  northward  for  about 
3  miles  the  channel  is  confined  to  a  narrow,  rocky  gorge  ^^'ith  precipi- 


8  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE  BUREAU    OF    SOILS,  1912. 

tous  to  vertical  walls  of  basalt.  Above  that  point  nearly  to  the 
northern  boundary  of  T.  4  N.,  R.  10  E.,  the  river  has  a  shallow, 
rocky  bed,  and  the  adjacent  land  is  the  sloping  and  rolling  floor 
of  a  shghtly  elevated,  eroded  valley.  Above  the  southern  part  of 
section  12  of  this  townsliip  the  stream  is  again  confined  in  a  nar- 
row canyon,  the  walls  of  which  are  commonly  vertical  and  from 
20  to  75  feet  in  height. 

No  streams  of  any  importance  enter  the  river  from  the  west,  as 
the  crest  of  the  watershed  between  the  White  Salmon  and  Little 
White  Salmon  Rivers  is  but  a  few  miles  distant  and  there  is  not 
enough  surface  drainage  to  form  large  or  permanent  streams.  In 
the  eastern  part  of  the  valley  there  are  two  streams  tributary  to  the 
White  Salmon — Rattlesnake  and  Gilmer  Creeks,  which  are  of  con- 
siderable size,  and  drain  extensive  areas  of  mountain  and  hill  land 
along  their  courses. 

With  the  exception  of  a  single  narrow  body  of  alluvial  soil  just  south 
of  Bingen,  the  Columbia  River,  on  the  Washington  side,  is  bordered 
either  by  a  steep,  rocky  slope,  or  by  vertical  walls  of  columnar  basalt, 
which  in  many  places  rise  directly  from  the  margin  of  the  stream. 
On  the  slopes  above  these  cliffs  north  of  Underwood  and  Hood,  sit- 
uated at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  in  the  Columbia  River  gorge,  and  near 
the  town  of  White  Salmon  upon  the  bluff,  there  are  areas  of  relatively 
level  bench  or  terrace  lands,  and  these,  together  with  the  gentle 
undulations  and  slopes  and  level  areas  of  lower  lands  along  the 
Wliite  Salmon  River,  form  practically  all  of  the  area  that  can  be 
called  reasonably  level.  The  remaining  part  of  the  area  in  Washing- 
ton is  made  up  of  the  mountain  and  hill  slopes,  with  varying  declivi- 
ties, not  uncommonly  too  steep  for  cultivation,  and  often  traversed 
by  deep  ravines.  On  the  crests  of  the  ridges,  where  dissection  has 
not  reached  an  advanced  stage,  there  are  small,  irregular  sections  of 
land  where  the  slopes  are  not  pronounced,  but  such  areas  are  seldom 
of  great  extent  and  are  of  little  importance  agriculturally. 

The  crests  of  the  mountains,  the  lower  slopes,  and  the  larger  part 
of  the  floors  of  both  valleys  were  originally  covered  with  a  dense 
growth  of  pine  and  fir.  (Pis.  I  and  II.)  Along  the  stream  bottoms 
the  native  vegetation  is  so  dense  as  to  approach  the  character  of  a 
jungle,  Cottonwood  and  willow  being  the  principal  trees,  with  an 
impenetrable  undergrowth  of  vines  and  brush. 

Prior  to  the  advent  of  white  settlers  this  portion  of  the  Northwest 
was  inhabited  only  by  scattering  tribes  of  Indians,  who  subsisted 
u])on  the  roots,  bulbs,  and  seeds  of  a  variety  of  native  plants  and  upon 
fish  caught  in  the  Columbia  River  and  tributary  streams.  More  or 
less  opposition  was  offered  by  the  Indians  to  the  immigration  of  the 
whites,  but  ('xce))ting  on  two  or  three  occasions,  when  their  attacks 
were  unusually  severe  and  led  to  organized  campaigns  against  them, 


Report  of  Bureau  of  Soils,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture,  191  2. 


Plate  I. 


Report  of  Bureau  of  Soils,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture,  1912. 


Plate  II. 


H  z 


HOOD  KIVER-WHITE   SALMON    KIVER  AREA.  9 

their  resistance  was  confined  largely  to  the  harassing  of  lonely  set- 
tlers and  prospectors  in  the  more  distant  parts  of  the  mountains. 

Agents  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Co.  explored  the  Northwest  early  in  the 
nineteenth  century,  but  it  was  mainly  through  the  expeditions  of 
Smith  (1828),  Lewis  and  Clark  (1804-5),  the  Hunt  (Astor)  party 
(1810-12),  and  Fremont  (1843-44)  that  definite  knowledge  of  this 
part  of  the  country  was  obtained.  Settlement  began  in  this  area 
late  in  the  sixties,  when  a  small  village  sprung  up  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Hood  River  and  became  a  stopping  place  for  travelers  on  their  way 
to  the  coast.  Wlien  the  Columbia  was  used  for  water  transportation 
this  town  became  one  of  the  regular  stopping  places  for  the  steamers. 
With  the  building  of  the  railroad  along  the  south  bank  of  the  Columbia 
River,  rai)id  transportation  became  available,  and  the  agricultural 
development  of  the  valley,  which  had  been  slow  and  irregular,  pro- 
gressed rapidly,  the  type  of  agriculture  changing  from  the  production 
of  hay  and  the  grazing  of  cattle  to  the  production  of  fruit. 

On  the  Washington  side  of  the  river  settlement  has  been  much 
slower.  Water  transportation  has  been  available  for  many  years, 
but  the  desire  of  the  larger  number  of  people  to  be  near  the  railroad 
has  retarded  the  development  of  that  section.  In  1908  the  Spokane, 
Portland  &  Seattle  Railway  was  constructed  along  the  north  bank 
of  the  Columbia  River,  and  railway  connection  with  the  commercial 
centers  of  the  Northwest  is  now  available  for  that  jjart  of  the  area. 

The  town  of  Hood  River  is  the  county  seat  of  Hood  River  County, 
and  the  principal  business  center  of  this  part  of  the  State.  This  town 
has  a  population  of  2,331,  according  to  the  census  of  1910.  Most  of 
the  fruit-packing  houses  of  the  valley  are  located  at  Hood  River,  since 
practically  all  of  the  fruit  is  shippetl  by  railroad  from  this  point. 
Hydroelectric  plants  furnish  electricity  for  lighting  and  power  pur- 
poses, and  the  domestic  water  supply  of  the  city  is  derived  from  a 
number  of  springs  in  the  Cascade  Range.  The  main  line  of  the  Ore- 
gon-Washington Railroad  &  Navigation  Co.  connects  the  town  with 
the  eastern  and  western  business  centers,  and  a  local  line,  the  Mount 
Hood  Railroad,  owned  by  a  lumber  company,  traverses  the  Hood 
River  Valley,  connecting  Hood  River  with  the  town  of  Parkdale, 
a  small  settlement  in  the  upper  valley.  Van  Horn,  Lentz,  Odell, 
Summit,  Bloucher,  Winans,  Dee,  Trout  Creek,  and  Woodworth  are 
intermediate  stations  along  this  line.  Oak  Grove,  Fir,  and  Mount 
Hood  are  crossroad  stores.  Ruthton,  a  station  in  the  western  part 
of  the  area  on  the  Oregon- Washington  Railroad  &  Navigation  Co.'s 
line,  is  the  site  of  an  important  lumber  mill,  which  receives  the  lumber 
from  the  nearby  mountains. 

The  towTi  of  White  Salmon,  ^vdth  a  population  of  682,  is  the 
principal  commercial  center  of  the  White  Salmon  River  Valley 
section  of  the  survey.  This  town  is  located  on  a  sloping  bench  sev- 
96828°— 14 2 


10  FIELD   OPEBATIONS   OF    THE   BUEEAU    OF    SOILS,   1912. 

eral  hundred  foot  above  the  (\ihimbia  River  and  about  a  mile  by 
wagon  road  from  the  raikoad  station  of  the  same  name.  From  the 
to-wTi  of  White  Salmon  wagon  roads  lead  to  ail  parts  of  the  valley  and 
connect  with  distant  agricultural  sections  m  adjoining  valleys.  Hood, 
Underwood,  and  Bmgen  are  small  stations  along  the  line  of  the 
Spokane,  Portland  &  Seattle  Railway,  locally  known  as  the  North 
Bank  Railroad,  and  afford  passenger  and  freight  facilities  for  adja- 
cent sections  of  the  valley.  Husum  and  Gilmer  are  post  ofhces  m  the 
central  and  northern  parts  of  the  valley,  on  the  main  traveled  roads. 
The  mam  roads  throughout  the  valley  are  excellent,  and  it  is  only 
during  unusually  severe  whiter  weather  that  travel  is  obstructed 
even  on  the  second-class  roads. 

CLIMATE. 

The  climate  of  tliis  part  of  Oregon  and  Washhigton  is  characterized 
by  moderate  winters,  long,  cool  summers,  a  moderately  abundant 
rainfall,  and  comparative  freedom  from  damagmg  spring  frosts. 

The  precipitation  is  much  less  than  that  upon  the  western  slope  of 
the  Cascade  Mountains.  There  is  a  rain}'  and  dry  season.  The 
former  may  be  regarded  as  extendhig  from  late  October  to  about  the 
first  of  May.  Showers  occur  at  mtervals  throughout  the  summer 
months,  but  they  are  sUght  and  seldom  of  much  importance  as  a  source 
of  moisture  supply,  and  from  the  middle  of  June  to  late  in  October 
the  occurrence  of  rain  in  amounts  sufficient  to  interfere  with  farming 
operations  is  very  unusual.  Rams  are  seldom  accompanied  by 
lightnmg,  hail,  or  violent  winds,  and  a  large  part  of  the  precipitation 
takes  place  in  the  form  of  a  fine  mistlike  rain. 

Snow  falls  during  January,  Februar}^,  and  March.  It  appears  first 
on  the  peaks  and  higher  ridges  of  the  surroundmg  mountains,  and,  as 
the  season  advances,  slowly  descends  and  spreads  over  the  floor  of 
the  valleys.  The  depth  varies  considerably  from  3'ear  to  year,  the 
fall  sometimes  being  heavy  enough  to  cause  serious  injury  to  young 
fruit  trees. 

All  of  the  rains  and  the  larger  part  of  the  snows  drift  in  from  the 
west,  coming  up  the  gorge  of  the  Columbia  River.  Owmg  to  the 
irregular  topography  of  the  two  valleys  included  within  the  area  sur- 
veyed, there  is  commonly  a  wide  variation  in  the  amount  of  precipi- 
tation in  various  sections,  and  this  is  apparently  not  governed 
entirely  by  the  altitude  of  the  sections,  but  by  the  movement  of  the 
^^dnds  as  affected  by  the  arrangement  of  the  mountain  ridges.  This 
condition  is  particularly  noticeable  at  either  the  close  or  opening  of 
the  rainy  season,  when  parts  of  these  valleys  receive  heavy  rains  and 
other  parts  at  no  great  distance  may  receive  none. 


HOOD   RIVER-WHITE    SALMON    RIVER   AREA. 


11 


Statistics  of  the  weather  conditions  in  these  vallej's  given  in  the 
table  below  are  compiled  from  the  records  of  volunteer  Weather 
Bureau  observers  in  the  vicmity  of  Hood  River. 

Statistics  of  climate  compiled  from  records  kept  at  Hood  River,  Oreg. 


Temperature. 

Precipitation. 

state  of  weather. 

•2 

02 

o 
O 

Killing  frost. 

Year. 

<^  . 
at 
< 

1 

5 

1 
3 

as 

•?  a 

Si 

ii- 
11 

a) 
O 

—  >> 

§ 

.a 

la 

2" 

si 

1899 

°  F. 
49.2 

51.3 
49.9 
50.0 
52.6 
51.6 
53.0 
51.1 

48.6 
.50.4 
49.  5 

0   p^ 

98 
98 
103 
98 
99 
102 
95 
106 
103 
101 
101 
101 
106 

">  F. 

-  6 

Inches. 
44.18 

Inches. 
7.72 

Inch . 
T. 

Days. 

Days. 

Days. 

Days. 
142 

Inches. 
79 

w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 
w. 

1900 

Apr.   27 
Apr.  24 
Apr.   13 
Apr.   19 
Apr.   23 
Apr.  U 
Apr.   12 
Apr.  30 
Apr.  28 
May     9 
Apr.   15 
May   11 

Sept.  2 
Nov.  2 
Sept.  29 
Oct.  15 
Oct.  20 
Oct.  19 
Oct.  20 
Nov.  3 
Aug.  31 

1901 
1902 
1903 
1904 
1905 
1906 
1907 
1908 

14 

-  3 
13 
19 

2 
14 

-  5 

36.88 
41.99 
30. 22 
35.23 
25.02 
35.71 
33.43 

7.81 

10.56 

8.94 

8.96 

4.81 

10.54 

8.60 

4.47 

11.75 

7.70 

4.20 

T. 

0.01 
.07 
.13 
.05 
.00 
.10 
.05 

T. 
.00 
.00 

146 
1.33 
143 
129 
147 
134 
170 

127 
108 
119 
124 
114 
95 
65 

92 
124 

94 
110 
104 
136 
130 

119 
142 
106 
130 
120 
122 
111 

47.5 

64.6 

34.6 

62.1 

43 

34 

78 

1909 
1910 
1911 

-IS 

1 

10 

28.48 
21.47 
18.61 

173 
198 
210 

64 
42 
35 

126 
125 
120 

74 
71 
55 

99.1 

27 

36 

Oct.  15 
Oct.  25 
Oct.    27 

The  figures  given  in  the  following  table  are  compiled  from  Weather 
Bureau  records  covering  a  number  of  years  and  show  the  average 
monthly  temperature  and  precipitation  at  Hood  River: 

Normal  monthly  and  annual  temperature  and  precipitation,  Hood  River,  Oreg. 


Month. 


January. 
February 
March . . . 

April 

May 

June 

July 


Temper- 
ature. 


'F. 
33.9 
36.2 
42.4 
50.0 
56.3 
60.9 
67.2 


Precipi- 
tation. 


Inches. 
6.39 
4.92 
3.68 
2ei3 
1.25 
1.02 
.18 


Month. 


August 

September 
October... 
November. 
December . 

Year 


Temper- 
ature. 


'F. 
66.7 
59.3 
51.6 
42.2 
35.9 


50. 2 


Precipi- 
tation. 


Incites. 
.24 
1.53 
2.61 
5.66 
7.42 


37.03 


Winter  temperatures  are  not  ordinarily  severe  and,  although  the 
night  temperature  is  usually  below  32°  F.,  it  seldom  falls  below  zero. 
The  summer  season  is  marked  by  relatively  cool  days  and  nights. 
The  thermometer  may  rise  above  90,  possibly  to  100°  F.,  but  such 
extremes  seldom  persist  for  more  than  a  few  days,  and  are  succeeded 
by  periods  of  cooler  weather  when  the  maximum  daily  temperature 
will  rarely  go  above  80°  F. 

The  usual  spring  conditions  are  such  that  there  is  but  little  danger 
of  injury  to  the  apple  crop  from  late  spring  frosts,  as  a  number  of 
consecutive  days  with  temperatures  high  enough  to  start  the  tree 


12  FIELD   OPEKATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1912, 

growth  seldom  occur  before  the  usual  date  of  the  last  killmg  frost. 
Certam  other  fruits,  such  as  peaches  and  grapes,  may  be  forced  into 
bloom  by  a  few  warm  days  early  in  the  spring,  and  these  may  suffer 
severely  with  a  subsequent  lowering  of  temperatures.  The  dates  of 
killing  frosts  in  the  spring  are  extremely  variable  in  different  portions 
of  the  valley,  owdng  to  differences  in  elevation  and  the  conditions  of 
air  drainage.  For  tliis  reason  the  data  given  in  the  table  are  applica- 
ble only  to  a  small  part  of  the  valley  immediately  adjoining  the  upper 
part  of  the  town  of  Hood  River. 

The  prevailing  winds  are  from  the  west,  as  the  gorge  of  the  Colum- 
bia River  plays  the  part  of  a  gigantic  flue  and  affords  a  passage  for 
the  wind  from  the  cool  coast  country^  eastward  toward  the  heated 
interior.  The  velocity  of  the  wind  is  least  during  the  winter  season, 
when  the  temperatures  on  the  coast  and  in  the  interior  are  more 
nearly  equal,  and  greatest  in  the  spring  and  enrlj  summer,  when  the 
temperature  in  the  plains  section  east  of  the  mountams  is  much 
higher  than  that  along  the  coast.  The  usual  drift  of  the  wind  from  the 
coast  toward  the  interior  is  the  prmcipal  factor  in  maintaining  the 
low  temperature  of  the  summer  season  and  in  preventing  excessively 
low  temperatures  during  the  -winter.  It  is  onl}"  when  the  normal 
conditions  are  disturbed  that  there  is  any  noticeable  movement  of 
air  from  the  interior  toward  the  coast,  and  whenever  this  occurs  the 
extremes  of  temperature  for  the  season  follow.  In  the  summer 
season  the  winds  from  the  heated  plains  to  the  east  cause  the  ther- 
mometer to  rise  above  90°,  and  this  heat  will  persist  for  one  to  three 
or  four  days.  With  the  Avinds  from  the  interior  during  the  winter 
season  the  tem])erature  drops,  but  in  a  few  days  the  \\TJid  swings 
into  the  west  and  the  severe  temperature  is  replaced  by  a  noticeably 
warmer  period. 

The  average  climatic  conditions  which  exist  in  these  valleys  are 
such  that  the  production  of  berries,  deciduous  fruits,  and  forage 
crops  that  are  adapted  to  a  cool,  temperate  climate  will  be  profit- 
able, providing,  of  course,  that  suitable  locations  are  chosen. 

AGRICULTURE. 

The  first  settlers  in  these  valleys  occupied  the  comparatively  level, 
elevated  floors  of  the  valleys  and  also  the  narrow  bodies  of  alluvial 
soil  along  the  Columbia  River.  The  absence  of  accessible  markets 
limited  the  activities  chiefly  to  stock  raising.  In  the  districts  men- 
tioned grain  could  be  growm  for  hay,  and  the  stock  were  ranged  over 
the  adjacent  lands  of  the  valley  and  on  the  mountain  and  hill  slopes, 
where,  when  the  forest  was  not  too  thick,  a  good  growth  of  grass 
afforded  grazing  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year. 

A  few  trails  and  wagon  roads  led  from  the  settlements  to  distant 
points  in  the  valleys,  but  access  to  outside  markets  was  available  only 
by  steamers  on  the  Columbia  River.     The  town  of  Hood  River  and 


HOOD  RIVEB-WHITE   SALMON   RIVER  AREA.  13 

the  old  town  of  Wliite  Salmon  originated  as  small  settlements  near 
the  steamer  landings  where  freight  was  received  and  shipped,  and 
became  the  social  and  commercial  centers  of  these  two  valleys.  For 
years  there  was  scarcely  any  increase  in  the  size  of  these  villages,  and 
but  little  increase  in  the  rural  population,  and  when  the  railroad  was 
constructed  down  the  south  bank  of  the  Columbia  River,  Hood  River 
was  a  %dllage  with  a  population  of  less  than  300, 

In  the  Hood  River  Valley  the  first  attempts  at  producing  what 
might  be  called  a  cash  crop  were  made  in  the  early  eighties,  when 
strawbeiTies  were  grown  on  the  west  side  of  the  valley  and  irrigated 
by  a  canal  constructed  by  the  farmers.  This  was  practically  the  only 
agricultural  product  sliipped  from  the  valley  for  many  years,  and  the 
early  growers,  realizing  the  need  for  cooperation  and  systematic  mar- 
keting, organized  what  was  known  as  the  Fruit  Growers'  Union,  and, 
although  the  crops  of  the  valley  have  increased  and  varied  in  charac- 
ter from  time  to  time,  some  form  of  sliipping  association  has  existed 
from  that  time  to  the  present.  Different  kinds  of  deciduous  fruits 
were  planted  by  the  early  settlers  for  home  use,  but  it  was  not  until 
late  in  the  eighties  that  commercial  orchards  were  established. 
About  this  time  one  orchard  was  set  out  on  the  west  side  of  the  valley 
and  two  on  the  east  side,  though  many  at  that  time  doubted  the  feasi- 
bility of  growmg  fruits  on  an  extensive  scale. 

In  the  White  Salmon  Valley,  the  earUest  settlement  was  well  up 
the  White  Salmon  River,  toward  Trout  Lake,  where  stock  raising 
was  made  the  principal  industry.  Owing  to  the  elevation,  the  grow- 
ing of  grasses  and  alfalfa  to  be  fed  to  stock  and  dairy  cattle  is  still  the 
leading  type  of  agriculture. 

Besides  the  isolation  of  these  valleys,  which  was  one  of  the  principal 
features  in  retardmg  their  development,  the  fact  that  practically  the 
entire  area  of  cultivable  land  was  covered  with  a  dense  forest  hindered 
progress.  The  early  farmuig  was  confined  to  areas  where  there  was 
little  or  no  timber.  The  earliest  clearings  were  around  the  site  of  the 
settlers'  cabins.  As  there  was  no  special  need  for  the  cultivation  of 
large  fields,  the  clearing  of  these  small  tracts  was  the  only  work  done 
for  many  years  toward  removing  the  forest.  As  the  population 
increased  and  markets  became  available,  the  timber  was  rapidly 
removed  from  the  more  level  lands  in  both  valleys,  until,  m  the  Hood 
River  VaUey  at  least,  the  area  of  forested  land  in  the  valley  flat  is  at 
present  very  small.  As  the  demand  for  land  increased,  the  high 
prices  asked  for  the  valley  land  forced  newcomers  to  the  slopes  of  the 
mountains  and  mto  the  upper  Hood  River  Valley,  and  the  clearing 
of  these  lands  is  still  in  progress. 

In  the  Wliite  Salmon  River  Valley,  owing  to  the  lack  of  adequate 
transportation,  the  settlement  and  development  has  proceeded  very 
slowly.     From  the  first  settlement,  in  the  vicinity  of  Trout  Lake,  the 


14  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1912. 

development  has  extended  southward  along  the  White  Salmon  River, 
where  the  lands,  although  heavily  timbered,  were  fairly  moist  and 
could  be  made  to  produce  heavy  yields  of  the  common  forage  crops. 
As  fruit  growing  increased  in  the  Hood  River  Valley  and  proved  to 
be  highly  profitable,  residents  and  newcomers  in  the  White  Salmon 
River  Valley  followed  the  example  of  their  neighbors  across  the  river, 
and  this  led  to  the  clearing  of  areas  on  the  timbered  slopes  and  the 
crests  of  the  lower  ridges. 

Aside  from  the  change  from  stock  raising  to  the  growing  of  fruits, 
there  has  been  no  great  variation  in  the  type  of  agriculture  in  these 
sections.  The  different  fruits  have,  as  a  rule,  given  regular  j-ields, 
and,  as  a  result,  the  principal  development  of  agriculture  in  these 
valleys  has  been  toward  the  production  of  fruit.  So  pronounced  has 
been  this  tendency  that  at  present  much  of  the  farm  produce  used  in 
these  valleys  is  shipped  into  the  area. 

With  minor  exceptions  no  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  adapta- 
tion of  crops  to  the  various  types  of  soil,  and  only  when  the  conditions 
were  absolutely  prohibitive  of  tree  growth  has  there  been  any  hesi- 
tation about  the  planting  of  some  variety  of  deciduous  fruit.  Under 
such  a  system  crop  rotation  is  absolutely  out  of  the  question,  except- 
ing such  changes  as  may  be  made  from  time  to  time  in  the  crops 
grown  between  the  rows  of  fruit  trees. 

The  labor  problem  is  a  matter  of  concern  to  the  growers  only 
during  the  picking  season,  as  the  plantmg,  cultivating,  and  spraying 
calls  for  but  few  men  and  the  demand  is  easily  met  by  the  usual 
itinerant  workers.  In  occasional  years,  when  the  climatic  conditions 
are  such  that  strawberries  ripen  suddenly,  it  is  sometimes  difficult 
to  secure  pickers  to  save  the  crop,  but  in  the  fall  the  apple-picking 
season  lasts  thi-ough  several  weeks  and  the  supply  of  help  is  usually 
ample. 

The  wage  of  an  ordinary  farm  hand,  m  this  section,  is  from  $35 
to  $40  a  month  and  board,  or  $50  a  month  without  board.  Berry 
pickers  are  paid  by  the  box,  and  a  day's  pay  will  run  from  $2  to  $4, 
depending  upon  the  efforts  of  the  laborer.  During  the  apple- 
picking  season  the  pickers  receive  $2.50  a  day  and  board. 

Land  holdings  in  this  area  vary  from  tracts  of  5  acres  to  several 
hundred  acres,  the  latter  commonly  being  held  by  individuals  or 
companies  engaged  in  the  development  of  large  orchard  tracts. 
In  the  developed  sections  of  the  valley  40  acres  constitute  a  large 
farm,  and  the  greater  number  of  the  orchards  are  in  10  to  40  acre 
tracts.  In  the  undeveloped  portions  of  the  area  a  greater  number 
of  the  holdings  were  origmally  quarter  section  homesteads,  and  a 
large  proportion  of  the  original  entrymen  have  disposed  of  theii' 
holdings  either  to  lumbermen  or  to  real  estate  operators  and  develop- 


HOOD  RIVER-WHITE   SALMON    RIVER  AREA.  15 

ment  companies,  and  there  are  now  a  number  of  such,  holdings 
which  are  1,000  acres  or  more  in  extent. 

Experience  in  this  and  in  other  sections  has  fully  demonstrated 
that  the  best  and  most  satisfactory  results  are  obtained  from  small 
orchards  operated  by  the  owners,  and  the  tendency  here  is  to  reduce 
the  holdings  to  tracts  not  exceeding  20  or  40  acres  in  extent,  and  the 
preference  is  for  the  smaller  size. 

Unimproved  land  is,  generally  speaking,  held  at  a  rather  excessive 
figure.  It  may  occasionally  happen  that  unimproved  land,  always 
in  this  area  covered  with  forest  or  brush,  may  be  sold  at  $100  an 
acre,  but  the  land  is  usually  held  for  $150  to  $300  an  acre,  and  in 
some  cases  the  latter  figure  has  been  obtained  for  favorably  located 
tracts.  When  everything  is  considered — expense  of  clearing,  cost  of 
the  trees  and  of  planting,  pruning,  and  spraying  until  the  trees  come 
into  bearing,  taxes,  and  interest  on  the  investment — the  cost  of  a 
bearing  apple  orchard  would  be  almost  too  great  to  justify  the  price 
asked  for  this  land. 

Throughout  these  valleys  the  general  appearance  of  the  farm- 
houses and  outbuildings  and  the  neatness  of  the  surroundings  is 
a  matter  of  favorable  comment  by  all  who  visit  the  developed 
sections.  It  is  the  exception  to  find  an  unpainted  or  poorly  kept 
house  in  the  orchard  section,  and  a  considerable  number  of  the 
houses  are  large  and  modern  in  every  respect.  Here  and  there, 
particularly  in  the  outlying  sections  where  the  original  homesteads 
still  remain,  log  houses  and  indifferently  kept  frame  houses  may  be 
found,  but  these  are  rapidly  being  displaced  by  modern  structures. 

At  present  the  agricultural  output  of  these  two  valleys  is  prac- 
tically limited  to  apples  and  strawberries.  A  few  head  of  stock 
are  occasionally  shipped  to  Portland,  and  there  is  a  small  and  un- 
important shipment  of  pears,  peaches,  and  plums.  In  driving 
through  the  Hood  River  Valley  one  passes  mUe  after  mile  of  orchards 
in  all  stages  of  development,  with  here  and  there  small  acreages  of 
strawberries,  planted  either  separately  or  in  rows  between  the  smaller 
fruit  trees.  In  the  outlying  sections,  which  include  the  mountain 
slopes  and  portions  of  the  upper  valley,  there  are  large  areas  of 
forested  and  logged-off  land,  but  these  are  rapidly  being  cleared 
and  givmg  place  to  young  orchards.  In  the  White  Salmon  River 
Valley  the  extent  of  the  orchard  planting  is  much  smaller  than  in 
the  Hood  River  Valley,  but  this  is  largely  due  to  the  retarded  develop- 
ment of  this  section,  caused  by  the  longer  deferred  building  of  rail- 
roads. The  lands  that  were  first  cleared  and  devoted  to  the  pro- 
duction of  grain  and  hay  are  being  rapidly  planted  to  orchards. 
This  development  is  being  carried  on  in  all  parts  of  the  area,  and 
eventually  all  lands  not  too  steep  to  permit  cultivation,  or  with  soil 


16  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,  1912. 

SO  shallow  as  not  to  be  adapted  to  tilled  crops,  wall  doubtless  be 
put  in  orchards. 

In  order  to  give  an  idea  of  the  extent  of  orchard  area  and  the 
relative  acreage  of  the  different  crops  in  the  Hood  River  Valley,  and 
to  determine,  if  possible,  the  relation  between  the  plantings  and  the 
type  of  the  soil,  a  plat  was  made  of  all  of  the  plantings  in  that  valley. 
The  acreage  devoted  to  the  various  crops  was  determined,  but  the 
plat  showed  that  there  is,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  scarcely 
any  relation  between  the  plantings  and  the  soil  types  as  recognized 
in  tlie  survey.  0^\ang  to  the  less  extensive  development  in  the  White 
Salmon  River  Valley,  no  attempt  was  made  to  determine  the  crop 
acreage  in  that  section. 

The  following  figures  have  been  taken  from  the  plat  and  are  appli- 
cable only  to  that  part  of  the  Hood  River  Valley  covered  by  the  present 
survey. 

Acreage  devoted  to  the  several  crops  produced  in  Hood  River  Valley. 

Acres. 

Forest,  logged-off ,  and  slashed  land 52,  250 

Cleared  and  fallow  land 610 

Apple  trees 16, 425 

Strawberries 766 

Forage  crops  of  all  kinds 2, 186 

The  acreage  of  forage  crops  includes  only  those  areas  where  the  land 
was  entkely  given  over  to  these  crops.  The  larger  part  of  the  orchard 
acreage  is  sown  to  some  variety  of  cover  crop  each  fall,  which  is  com- 
monly used  for  the  feeding  of  farm  stock,  and  as  the  larger  part  is 
plowed  under  in  the  spring,  it  was  impracticable  to  determhie  the 
acreage. 

The  production  of  strawberries  is  practically  confined  to  one  variety, 
the  Clark  Seedling.  The  single-row  system  of  planting  is  followed 
almost  exclusively,  and  the  plants  are  commonly  allowed  to  bear  for 
three  years  before  being  removed.  In  setting  the  plants  the  rows  are 
generally  made  to  follow  the  contour  of  the  land,  and  irrigation  is 
thus  facilitated.  (PL  III.)  Most  of  the  strawberries  are  grown 
between  the  rows  of  fruit  trees,  and  the  revenue  from  the  sale  of 
berries  is  a  material  aid  in  meeting  the  running  expenses  of  the  orchard. 
The  yields  vary  wdth  the  care  and  attention  given  the  vines  and  wdth 
the  seasonal  conditions.  The  yields  range  from  100  to  300  crates  per 
acre.  The  selling  price  of  the  berries  is  governed  by  the  competition 
they  meet  in  distant  markets,  by  their  quality  and  size,  and  by  the 
dates  at  wliich  they  are  marketed.  The  price  is  usually  liighest  at  the 
opening  of  the  season  and  gradually  declines  toward  the  close. 

The  larger  acreage  of  berries  is  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hood  River 
Valley,  largely  because  the  yields  are. better  on  the  soils  in  that  section, 
while  in  the  White  Salmon  River  Valley  the  cultivation  of  this  fruit 


Report  of  Bureau  of  Soils,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture,   191  2. 


Plate  III. 


HOOD  EIVER-WHITE   SALMON   RIVER  AREA.  17 

is  confined  almost  exclusively  to  the  Underwood  loam.  In  the  former 
valley  irrigation  is  practiced  wherever  berries  are  produced,  as  this 
assures  a  heavier  yield  and  a  longer  beaiing  period.  In  the  White 
Salmon  River  Valley  water  is  seldom  available  for  irrigation,  and  the 
yields,  consequently,  average  less  than  those  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river. 

In  the  Hood  River  Valley  the  acreage  devoted  to  berries  shows  a 
slight  decrease  from  year  to  year.  Most  of  the  plantings  are  made 
between  the  young  fruit  trees,  and  as  these  come  into  bearing  the 
growing  of  other  crops  is  discontinued  and  the  soil  is  given  clean 
cultivation.  Eventually  the  growing  of  strawberries  may  decline  to  a 
point  where  it  will  be  of  little  importance,  but  in  Adew  of  the  fact  that 
new  blocks  of  trees  will  be  planted  for  some  years  to  come  there  is  no 
immediate  danger  of  this.  Moreover,  there  are  some  soils  in  the 
valley  that  are  particularly  adapted  to  this  fruit,  and  a  certain  pro- 
portion of  these  soils  will  doubtless  be  devoted  to  tliis  crop  for  many 
years.  As  development  progresses  in  the  White  Salmon  River  Valley 
the  acreage  of  strawberries  will  continue  to  increase  and  the  growdng 
of  this  fruit  will  be  one  of  the  important  industries  of  this  part  of 
the  area. 

Prior  to  the  development  of  the  commercial  aj)ple  orchards  in  either 
of  these  valleys  apples  had  been  grown  in  a  large  number  of  small 
family  orchards  for  several  years,  and  the  growth  and  productiveness 
of  these  trees  gave  some  idea  of  what  might  be  expected  from  com- 
mercial planting  in  suitable  locations. 

In  the  early  days  of  tree  planting  it  was  observed  that  the  trees  oh 
the  west  side  of  the  Hood  River  Valley  were  not  as  thrifty  as  those 
grown  on  the  east  side,  and,  for  some  reason,  it  was  supposed  that 
apples  could  not  be  profitably  grown  under  irrigation.  As  a  conse- 
quence the  development  of  the  commercial  orchards  began  on  the 
Hood  silt  loam,  east  of  the  Hood  River,  and  for  many  years  no  serious 
attempts  were  made  to  extend  the  orchard  planting  west  of  the  river. 
Later  a  number  of  small  orchards  were  planted  on  the  west  side  of  the 
valley,  in  spite  of  j)redictions  of  failure,  and  although  there  was  noth- 
ing to  guide  the  planters  in  handling  trees  on  these  soils,  their  efforts 
were  successful,  and  the  j^lantings  increased  raj^idly,  until  at  present 
the  larger  part  of  the  valley  lands  west  of  the  Hood  River  is  devoted 
to  the  production  of  apples  under  imgation.  The  returns  from  bear- 
ing orchards  gave  an  impetus  to  land  values,  and  in  the  last  few  years 
the  high  prices  asked  for  the  lands  in  the  lower  valley  have  forced  the 
development  of  the  upper,  or  southern,  part  of  the  valley  and  the 
extension  of  the  jjlanted  areas  over  the  slopes  of  the  mountains  sur- 
rounding the  lower  lands.  In  the  White  Salmon  River  Valley  the 
earhest  orchard  development  was  on  the  Hood  silt  loam,  where  there 
96828°— 14 ^3 


18  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,  1912. 

had  been  considerable  farming  for  a  number  of  years.  From  this  section 
of  the  valley  the  planting  of  trees  has  been  carried  to  the  more  level 
slopes  of  the  Underwood  loam,  and  it  is  in  these  sections  that  the 
most  extensive  development  is  now  being  carried.  The  setting  out  of 
commercial  orchards  began  less  than  10  years  ago,  and  at  the  present 
time  not  more  than  5  per  cent  of  the  trees  are  in  bearing. 

In  planting,  the  trees  are  set  in  the  square,  triangular,  or  hexagonal 
systems.  Following  the  square  system  they  are  commonly  set  26 
feet  apart.  Budded  one  or  two  year  old  stock  is  invariably  used, 
and  the  trees  are  secured  either  from  local  nurserymen  or  from  firms 
or  individuals  conducting  nurseries  in  the  Northwest.  Pruning  is 
done  each  year  at  any  time  after  the  wood  is  completely  dormant, 
and  during  the  first  years  of  the  tree's  growth  the  cuttmg  is  such  that 
the  tree  is  held  within  narrow  bounds,  in  order  to  facilitate  future  cul- 
tural and  picking  operations  and  to  build  up  a  sturdy  frame  that  will 
carry  a  heavy  load  of  fruit  with  minimum  damage  to  the  branches. 
Summer  pruning  is  seldom  practiced. 

In  the  past  there  has  been  a  great  diversity  in  the  methods  of 
handling  the  orchards,  but  although  a  considerable  variation  still 
exists,  the  growers  are  generally  beginning  to  use  similar  methods 
which  experience  has  shown  to  be  well  adapted  to  the  soil  and  climatic 
conditions  of  the  region,  and  to  the  varieties  of  fruit  most  largely 
grown.  With  many  of  the  growers  the  spring  treatment  of  the 
orchards  formerly  was  to  run  over  the  ground  with  a  disk  harrow, 
and  to  follow  this  with  a  harrow  or  drag.  While  a  few  still  use  this 
method,  the  larger  number  now  give  the  orchard  a  thorough  spring 
plowing  and  follow  this  with  successive  harrowings  until  the  surface 
mulch  is  fine,  loose,  and  deep.  In  a  veiy  large  number  of  the  younger 
orchards,  and  in  some  of  the  older  ones,  some  crop  is  grown  between 
the  rows  of  the  trees  during  some  part  of  the  year.  Crops  are  seldom 
grown  in  the  older  orchards,  but  it  is  the  common  practice  to  grow  a 
gram  or  forage  crop  during  the  whiter.  In  nearly  all  cases  this  is 
turned  under  in  the  spring  plowing.  In  the  younger  orchards  the 
same  practice  is  frequently  followed,  but  in  addition  some  forage  or 
tilled  crop  is  grown  between  the  trees  durmg  the  summer  season.  In 
the  first  case  the  crop  is  plowed  under  in  the  spring,  and  in  the  second 
the  returns  from  the  crops  go  toward  meeting  the  expense  of  running 
the  orchards.  When  done  judiciously  the  growing  of  these  crops 
does  not  impair  the  growth  of  the  trees.  The  danger  lies  in  the  temp- 
tation to  grow  these  crops  after  the  time  when  the  entire  area  of  the 
orchard  should  be  used  solely  for  the  benefit  of  the  trees. 

Considerable  differences  of  opinion  have  existed  in  the  past  regard- 
ing the  use  of  winter  cover  crops.  Although  various  ideas  concerning 
the  best  crop  for  this  purpose  and  the  methods  of  planting  and  handling 
it,  and  although  there  is  stiU  much  to  be  learned  along  these  lines,  it  is 


HOOD   RIVER-WHITE   SALMON    RIVER   AREA.  19 

generally  conceded  that  the  soils  are  m  need  of  a  greater  amount  of 
organic  matter,  which  is  most  economically  supplied  by  plowing  under 
green  crops,  and  a  constantly  increasing  acreage  of  orchard  land  is 
being  seeded  down  each  fall.  Oats,  wheat,  rye,  and  vetch,  sown  alone 
or  in  various  combinations,  are  commonly  used. 

Spraying  is  practiced  at  various  times  of  the  year  to  combat  the 
pests  common  to  the  various  fruits.  The  control  of  all  tree  pests  and 
diseases  is  demanded  by  the  State  law,  which  is  enforced  by  a  resident 
officer,  and  the  fruit  in  this  valley  is  being  grown  with  as  little  infesta- 
tion as  in  any  section  of  the  northwest. 

The  principal  varieties  of  apples  grown  are  the  Spitzenburg,  New- 
town Pippin,  Jonathan,  Ortley,  Arkansas  Black,  Gravenstein,  and 
Red  Cheek  Pippin.  A  careful  canvas  of  the  varieties  of  apples 
showed  that  there  were  86  varieties  of  trees  in  the  valley  that  were 
producmg  fruit.  About  a  dozen  of  these  are  important,  and  the 
remainder  are  simply  remnants  from  the  early  plantings  when  there 
was  no  knowledge  of  the  varieties  best  adapted  to  these  valleys.  A 
number  of  years  of  profitable  orcharding  has  shown  the  growers  what 
varieties  may  be  expected  to  give  the  best  returns,  and  as  time  goes 
on  there  will  be  a  steady  removal  of  undesirable  trees. 

Alfalfa,  clover,  timothy,  and  native  grasses  are  practically  the  only 
crops  grown  for  hay  in  the  Hood  River  Valley.  With  the  exception 
of  an  area  of  rather  moist  soil  in  the  vicinity  of  Odell,  where  there  are 
100  or  more  acres  in  native  grasses,  the  above  forage  crops  are  nearly 
always  grown  in  tracts  of  10  acres  or  less  in  the  vicinity  of  the  numer- 
ous farmhouses.  These  crops  seldom  produce  more  than  sufficient 
hay  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  individual  growers,  and  a  large  part  of 
the  forage  used  in  the  Hood  River  Valley  is  shipped  in  from  outside 
points. 

Irrigation  is  more  or  less  commonly  practiced  in  the  Hood  River 
Valley,  particularly  over  the  soils  on  the  floor  of  the  valley,  but  in  the 
White  Salmon  River  Valley  the  only  irrigation  is  on  the  Wind  River  fine 
sandy  loam,  as  the  topography  of  the  other  soils  is  so  mieven  as  to  make 
the  construction  of  canals  and  distribution  of  water  exceedingly 
difficult  and  expensive.  In  the  Hood  River  VaUey  strawberries  are 
always  hrigated,  and  a  larger  part  of  area  in  intertilled  crops  receives 
one  or  more  applications  during  the  growing  season.  Apples  are  not 
commonly  irrigated  during  the  ffi-st  few  years  of  their  growth,  but 
with  the  exception  of  some  of  the  older  orchards  on  the  Hood  silt 
loam  practically  all  of  the  bearing  trees  are  hrigated  at  regular  inter- 
vals. The  water  for  irrigation  is  obtained  from  both  the  east  and 
west  forks  of  Hood  River.  The  water  from  this  stream  is  of  excellent 
quality  and  is  more  than  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the  valley. 


20  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,  1912. 

SOILS. 

The  most  important  rock  formation  in  this  part  of  the  Northwest 
is  known  as  the  Columbia  lava,  a  vast  sheet  covering  neariy  250,000 
square  miles  and  varying  in  thickness  from  300  or  400  to  over  4,000 
feet.  This  mass  of  rock  was  not  formed  by  a  single  flow  or  volcanic 
eruption,  but  by  a  series  of  disturbances,  often  with  a  considerable 
period  of  time  intervening,  and  the  line  of  separation  between  the 
flows  is  commonly  marked  either  by  a  change  in  the  structure  of 
the  rock  or  by  intervening  strata  of  sands,  clays,  or  gravel.  The 
larger  part  of  these  lavas  cooled  slowly,  and  wherever  vertical  sec- 
tions of  the  rock  are  ^dsible  a  columnar  structure  nearly  always 
exists.  Thi'oughout  the  gorge  of  the  Columbia  River,  in  this  area 
and  to  the  westward,  and  along  the  courses  of  the  Hood  and  Wliite 
Salmon  Rivers  the  vertical  walls  are  often  500  feet  or  more  in  height. 
These  bold  columnar  cliffs  form  a  prominent  feature  of  much  of  the 
wUd,  rugged  scenery  along  these  streams.     (PL  IV.) 

The  broad  features  of  the  Hood  River  Valley  are  structural.  It 
occupies  a  shallow  downward  fold  or  syncline  of  the  basalt  beds. 
Since  its  formation,  however,  it  has  been  modified  in  detail  by 
erosion,  both  by  rumiing  water  and  by  glaciers.  The  work  of  the 
latter,  however,  has  been  mainly  deposition,  while  the  former  has 
done  very  little  beyond  the  cutting  of  the  narrow  valley  in  which 
the  river  flows.  Later  a  considerable  part  of  the  glacial  deposits 
were  apparently  removed,  either  by  streams  from  the  retreating  glacier 
or  by  others,  the  forerunnei-s  of  the  present  rivers.  In  some  instances 
the  lava  was  swejjt  clean  of  its  stony  mantle  and  veneered  with  a 
deposit  of  finer  sedimentary  material,  but  commonly  sections  along 
the  gorges  of  the  streams  show  remnants  of  the  glacial  deposits 
lying  between  the  rock  and  the  later  surface  soil.  Some  of  the 
present  soil  material  was  probably  deposited  as  glacial  outwash, 
being  made  up  of  fine  glacial  material  transported  to  its  present 
location  by  streams  from  the  melting  ice. 

In  the  White  Salmon  River  Valley  it  seems  doubtful  whether  glacial 
ice  occupied  any  considerable  part  of  the  depression.  So  far  as  has 
been  determined,  tlic  present  surface  of  the  valley  may  be  solely 
the  result  of  erosion  and  deposition  by  streams,  some  of  which  may 
have  been  of  glacial  origin. 

In  addition  to  the  effects  of  glacial  and  alluvial  agencies,  the 
lavas  have  been  subject  to  the  slow  but  certain  action  of  weathering 
and  the  decomposition  of  this  rock,  where  not  obscured  by  deposits 
resulting  from  other  agencies,  has  resulted  in  a  mantle  of  residual 
soils  which  cover  the  crests  and  slopes  of  the  hills  and  mountains 
in  the  area. 

The  latest  development  in  the  formation  of  the  soils  has  been 
the  deposition  of  recent  alluvial  soil  in  irregular,  narrow  areas  along 


HOOD  RIVER-WHITE   SALMON    RIVER   AREA.  21 

the  stream  courses.  In  the  White  Salmon  River  Valley  there  is 
but  little  alluvial  soil  of  recent  formation,  but  along  the  Columbia 
and  Hood  Rivers  and  the  tributaries  of  the  latter  recent  water-laid 
soils  occur  in  more  or  less  extensive  bodies.  Overflow  along  the 
Hood  River  and  its  tributaries  is  rare  and  the  soil  conditions  are 
stable  and  well  defined,  but  a  large  part  of  the  recent  soils  along  the 
Columbia  River  are  overflowed  annually  and  consequently  are  sub- 
ject to  more  or  less  alteration  from  year  to  year. 

The  soUs  of  the  area  surveyed  thus  fall  into  a  number  of  more  or 
less  distinct  groups,  according  to  their  topographic  position  and 
mode  of  formation.  Each  group  is  represented  by  one  or  more 
soil  series  and  each  soil  series  consists  of  a  number  of  soil  types. 
The  latter,  within  each  series,  are  similar  in  general  characteristics 
of  color,  character  of  subsoil  or  other  underlying  material,  topog- 
raphy, origin,  and  mode  of  formation,  but  differ  in  texture  as  deter- 
mined by  the  relative  proportions  of  the  different  grades  of  soil 
material.  A  complete  series  consists  of  a  number  of  associated  and 
closely  related  soil  types  ranging  in  texture  from  coarse  in  the 
sandy  members  to  fine  in  the  silty  and  clay  types.  Some  of  the 
soU  series  recognized  in  this  area,  however,  are  represented  by  but 
a  single  soil  type. 

The  soil  type  is  the  unit  of  classification  and  each  type  encountered 
is  indicated  in  color  on  the  soil  map  accompanying  this  report. 

The  residual  soils  of  the  area,  derived  by  weathering  in  place  of 
the  underlying  rock,  are  represented  by  three  types — the  loam  and 
stony  loam  members  of  the  Underwood  series  and  Rough  stony  land. 
The  Underwood  soils  occur  on  all  of  the  hill  and  mountain  slopes  in 
the  area,  and  are  by  far  the  most  extensively  distributed  soils  in  the 
area.  The  surface  soil  of  the  loam  type  carries  noticeable  quantities 
of  small,  reddish-brown  pellets,  formed  by  the  cementing  of  the  soil 
particles  by  iron  salts  or  by  spherical  weathering  of  fragments  of 
basaltic  rock.  These  are  locally  known  as  red  shot.  The  stony 
loam  contains  large  quantities  of  angular  rock  fragments  in  both  the 
soil  and  subsoil.  The  color  of  these  soils  is  commonly  a  light  brown 
or  light  reddish  brown,  with  occasional  areas  of  grayish  brown,  par- 
ticularly in  the  bodies  adjacent  to  the  White  Salmon  River  Valley. 
The  larger  part  of  the  area  occupied  by  these  soils  supports  a  heavy 
growth  of  fir  and  pine,  but  in  sections  of  restricted  rainfall  and  of 
steep  slope  and  where  the  drainage  is  excessive  or  the  soil  somewhat 
shallow  these  trees  give  way  to  scanty  growths  of  oak,  brush,  and 
grass.  Rough  stony  land,  a  nonagricultural  type,  includes  areas  in 
which  the  quantity  of  fragmental  rock  in  the  soil  or  of  rock  outcrop 
is  too  great  to  allow  cultivation.  The  soU  is  generally  thin,  the 
topography  is  quite  steep,  much  of  it  precipitous,  and  the  forest 
growth  is  usually  a  scattering  stand  of  pine. 


22  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1912. 

The  soils  of  the  area  which  are  recognized  as  derived  wholly  or 
in  part  from  ice-laid  material  are  those  of  the  Rockford  and  the 
Parkdale  series.  The  Rockford  series  is  represented  by  two  types, 
viz,  the  Rockford  stony  clay  loam  and  the  Rockford  clay.  The 
former  includes  an  eroded  phase.  The  typical  soil  occurs  only 
in  the  Hood  River  Valley,  though  a  small  body  of  the  eroded 
])hase  borders  the  Columbia  River  on  the  Washington  side.  The 
type  occupies  gently  undulating  or  sloping  areas  slightly  elevated 
above  the  adjacent  soils  of  the  valley  floor  and  carries  an  abun- 
dance of  glacial  bowlders.  The  Rockford  clay  covers  only  an 
inextensive  area  on  the  western  side  of  the  Hood  River  Valley 
between  the  Rockford  stony  clay  loam  and  the  higher  lying  residual 
soils  of  the  Underwood  series  occupying  the  mountain  slopes.  Some 
undifferentiated  colluvial  and  alluvial  foot-slope  material  from  the 
higher  mountam  soils  is  included  with  this  type.  Rock  or  gravel  is 
not  abundant  in  the  soil,  but  glacial  bowlders  occur  in  small  quantities, 
and  are  commonly  visible  along  the  courses  of  the  minor  stream  ways. 
The  soils  of  the  Rockford  series  are  of  reddish-brown  color  and  are 
underlain  by  reddish-brown  to  yellowish  subsoils,  overlying  deep, 
compact  deposits  of  glacial  till. 

The  Parkdale  series  is  represented  by  a  single  type,  the  Parkdale 
loam.  This  occurs  only  in  the  southern  part  of  the  area  as  a  dissected 
plain  with  a  very  noticeable  slope  to  the  south.  The  deeper  subsoil 
and  substratum  is  a  rocky  glacial  till,  but  this  is  covered  by  a  mantle 
of  finer  material.  The  area  occupied  by  this  t}^e  resembles  in 
topographic  features  a  glacial  outwash  plain,  and  the  finer  supei'ficial 
soil  material  may  consist  predominantly  of  stream-laid  glacial 
outwash  material  of  fine  sandy  and  silty  texture  or  of  thoroughly 
weathered  material  derived  from  the  underlying  drift.  Streams 
traversing  the  plain  have  cut  narrow,  rocky  gorges  into  this  material 
and  often  deeper  into  the  underlying  bedrock.  The  soil  is  of  brown 
or  light-brown  color,  often  with  a  reddish  tint,  and  usually  contains 
a  noticeable  quantity  of  fine  pellets.  The  subsoil  is  a  light-brown  to 
mottled  gray  and  brown  silt  loam  in  which  the  percentage  of  pellets 
is  generally  less  than  in  the  soil  material. 

Of  the  water-laid  sedimentary  soils  of  the  area,  the  most  extensive 
and  important  is  the  Hood  silt  loam,  winch,  like  the  Parkdale  loam, 
is  the  only  representative  of  its  series  recognized  in  the  survey.  The 
origin  of  this  type  is  not  definitely  known,  but  from  the  depth, 
uniformity,  and  fineness  of  the  material  it  appears  to  be  a  deposit 
laid  down  in  bodies  of  quiet  water,  and  has  probably  been  derived 
from  fuie  glacial  material.  This  type  is  one  of  the  most  important 
soils  in  the  area,  and  upon  it  are  found  the  larger  number  of  the 
productive  orchards  in  these  two  valleys.     This  soil  is  light  gray  or 


HOOD  EIVEK-WHITE   SALMON   RIVER  AREA.  23 

light  grayish  brown  in  color  and  entirely  free  from  either  rock  or 
gravel. 

The  stream-laid  or  alluvial  soils  of  the  area  are  represented  by  the 
Wind  River,  Columbia,  and  Winans  series,  and  by  a  nonagricultural 
type  mapped  as  Riverwash. 

The  soils  and  subsoils  of  the  Wind  River  series  are  light  brown  or 
light  reddish  brown.  The  series  occupies  Jiigh  terraces,  sometimes 
several  hundred  feet  above  the  present  valley  bottoms,  and  is 
underlain  by  a  stratum  of  gravels  or  of  basaltic  rock,  although  this 
is  not  generally  encountered  within  the  depth  of  6  feet.  Of  tliis 
series  the  stony  loam,  gravelly  sandy  loam,  sandy  loam,  loam,  and 
fine  sandy  loam  members  have  been  recognized.  These  soils  are  of 
considerable  importance,  and  occur  in  both  the  Hood  River  and 
"WTiite  Salmon  River  Valleys.  (PI.  V.)  In  one  or  two  instances 
glacial  till  deposits  occur  as  a  substratum  beneath  some  of  the  types 
and  a  part  of  the  stratified  gravels  and  sands  found  sometimes  in  the 
subsoils  may  be  glacial  outwash  deposits. 

The  soils  of  the  Columbia  and  Winans  series  and  Riverwash  are 
confined  to  the  stream  bottoms,  and  are  of  recent  alluvial  origin. 
The  Columbia  series  is  represented  only  by  the  Columbia  fine  sandy 
loam.  This  is  a  light  grayish  brown  or  buff-colored  soil  underlain 
by  stratified  alluvial  deposits  which  vary  in  texture.  The  parent 
material  is  derived  from  a  ^\^de  variety  of  quartz-bearing  and  quartz- 
free  rocks,  and  most  of  it  has  probably  been  transported  long  dis- 
tances. The  type  occupies  the  present  flood  plain,  and  much  of  it 
is  subject  to  overflow,  but  where  sufficiently  elevated  above  the  level 
of  the  stream  it  is  cultivated. 

The  Winans  series  occupies  narrow  areas  of  low  terrace  and  bottom 
lands  in  the  Hood  and  White  Salmon  River  Valleys.  The  soils  and 
subsoils  are  typically  light  brown  or  grayish  brown  in  color  and 
underlain  by  a  substratum  of  stream-laid  gravels.  The  series  is 
represented  by  two  types,  a  gravelly  sandy  loam  and  a  loam.  As 
mapped,  however,  these  two  soils  include  some  undifferentiated  mate- 
rial which  in  a  more  detailed  survey,  or  if  occurring  in  more  exten- 
sive bodies,  would  be  recognized  as  distinct  soil  types.  The  parent 
material  is  derived  predominantly  from  basaltic  rocks  and  much  of 
it  has  been  transported  but  a  short  distance. 

The  gravelly  sandy  loam  is  confined  to  narrow,  irregular  bodies 
along  the  Hood  River,  and  usually  occupies  areas  of  low  terraces 
above  the  present  level  of  the  stream  channel.  This  type  is  very 
graveUy,  the  gravel  consisting  both  of  glacial  and  water-worn  rock. 
The  formation  of  the  soil  is  largely  due  to  the  reworking  by  alluvial 
agencies  of  bodies  of  glacial  till.  The  surface  is  moderately  sloping, 
except  immediately  along  the  river,  where  the  land  surface  often 
drops  abruptly  to  the  level  of  the  stream.    The  type  is  traversed  by 


24 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1912. 


a  few  intermittent  drainage  courses  from  the  higher  lands  and  sup- 
ports a  scant  growth  of  fir,  pine,  and  oak. 

The  Winans  loam  is  a  type  of  minor  importance,  confined  where 
typically  developed  to  the  Hood  River  Valley,  and  occurring  as  long, 
narrow  bodies  of  bottom  land  along  the  courses  of  the  smaller  streams. 
The  texture  is  extremely  variable.  The  soil  is  the  result  of  the  depo- 
sition of  material  from  th(i  flood  waters  of  the  bordering  streams,  and 
a  portion  of  the  type  is  still  subject  to  alteration  bv  occasional  floods. 

Riverwash  is  of  no  present  agricultural  importance,  and  consists 
of  sand  and  gravel  deposits  of  the  Columbia  and  Hood  Rivers.  The 
type  is  submerged  during  periods  of  high  water. 

The  names  and  extent  of  the  various  soils  mapped  in  the  area  are 

given  below: 

Areas  of  different  soils. 


Soil. 


Underwood  loam 

Hood  silt  loam 

Rough  stony  land 

Underwood  stony  loam 

Rockford  stony  clay  loam 

Eroded  phase 

Wind  River  loam 

Wind  River  fine  sandy  loam 

Riverwash 

Wind  River  sandy  loam 

Light  phase 


Acres. 


102,080 
14,400 
4,352 
4,032 
1,920 
1,472 
3,328 
2,240 
1,984 
1,728 
128 


Per 

cent. 


1.3 


Parkdale  loam 

Wind  River  gravelly  sandy  loam 

Columbia  fine  sandy  loam 

Winans  loam 

Wmd  River  stony  loam 

Winans  gravelly  sandy  loam 

Rockford  clay 

Total 


Acres. 


,472 
,152 
,088 
960 
832 
768 
704 


144, 640 


Per 
cent. 


1.0 


UNDERWOOD    LOAM. 


The  soil  of  the  Underwood  loam  consists  of  a  loam  8  or  10  inches 
deep  and  containing  a  large  number  of  pellets  about  the  size  of  buck- 
shot. The  soil  material  is  generally  of  fine,  smooth,  silty  texture. 
The  color  ranges  from  grayish  brown  to  reddish  brown,  and  the  term 
''red-shot  land"  which  is  locaUy  applied  to  this  soil  is  not  derived 
from  the  color  of  the  soil,  but  from  the  color  of  the  pellets  or  concre- 
tions. These  pellets  are  usually  soft  and  readily  crushed  in  the  fingers 
when  moist. 

The  subsoil  may  be  either  a  loam  or  a  clay  loam  of  high  silt  content, 
extending  to  a  depth  of  6  feet  or  more.  Where  the  clay  loam  occurs 
the  surface  loam  is  rarely  over  a  foot  in  depth.  The  pellets  may  be 
present  in  the  subsoil,  but  always  in  smaller  quantities  than  in  the 
surface  soil.  The  soil  is  quite  granular,  and  the  presence  of  the  pel- 
lets makes  even  the  hea\aer  phases  easy  to  cultivate. 

This  soil  is  one  of  the  main  types  in  both  the  Oregon  and  the  Wash- 
ington portions  of  the  area.  In  the  Hood  River  section  it  occurs  on 
the  slopes  of  all  the  mountains  in  and  bordering  the  valley,  and,  with 


Report  of  Bureau  of  Soils,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture,  1912. 


Plate  IV. 


Report  of  Bureau  of  Soils,  U    S.  Dept-  of  Agriculture,  1912. 


Plate  V. 


HOOD  EIVER-WHITE   SALMON    RIVER   AREA.  25 

the  exception  of  an  irregular  area  of  the  Underwood  stony  loam  on  the 
summit  of  the  mountains  and  hills  along  the  eastern  boundary  of  the 
area,  it  extends  over  the  summits  of  all  of  the  ridges  in  this  part  of  the 
area.  In  the  White  Salmon  section  the  type  is  even  more  extensive 
than  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  is  found  on  the  hills  and 
mountain  crests,  and  on  all  of  the  slopes  lying  above  the  floor  of  the 
valley  proper. 

The  topogi'aphy  varies  considerably.  From  the  soils  of  the  floor  of 
the  valley  the  surface  of  this  type  rises  with  either  long,  gentle  slopes 
or  with  slopes  too  abrupt  to  permit  cultivation,  while  on  the  tops  of 
the  surrounding  mountains  there  usually  are  areas  where  the  sur- 
face is  but  slightly  rolling,  and  often  nearly  level.  Rock  outcrop  is 
rarely  encountered.  The  presence  of  rock  in  the  subsoil  is  usually 
indicated  by  a  change  in  the  native  vegetation  from  heavily  forested 
slopes  to  those  which  are  covered  with  a  scanty  growth  of  brush  and 
grass.     The  drainage  is  good  and  in  many  places  excessive. 

The  Underwood  loam  is  a  residual  soil  derived  from  the  weathering 
of  the  underlving  basalt.  It  includes  a  number  of  small  areas  of 
undifferentiated  soils  along  the  base  of  the  steeper  slopes,  where  the 
material  is  predominantly  colluvial.  Such  areas  are  irregular,  rela- 
tively unimportant,  and  no  attempt  was  made  to  indicate  them  sepa- 
rately in  the  soil  map.  In  color,  texture,  and  adaptation  to  crops 
these  bodies  do  not  differ  materially  from  the  adjacent  soil.  Small 
and  unimportant  areas  of  undifferentiated  red  residual  soils  derived 
from  the  basaltic  rocks  are  also  included.  In  a  more  detailed  survey 
these  might  w^arrant  recognition  as  distinct  soils. 

The  native  vegetation  varies  with  the  topography  and  exposure. 
Over  the  more  level  parts  of  the  type  a  dense  stand  of  Douglas  fir  is 
common.  On  easy  slopes  there  is  a  mixed  forest  of  fir  and  pine,  and 
as  the  slope  becomes  steeper  and  the  elevation  greater  the  pine  and 
fir  give  way  to  oak  and  brush.  On  the  steepest  mountain  sides, 
particularly  on  southwest  exposures,  there  is  only  a  growth  of  grasses 
and  weeds. 

With  the  exception  of  the  steeper  and  rougher  slopes,  this  type  is 
well  adapted  to  the  fruits  commonly  grown  in  this  section.  It  is 
utilized  principally  for  the  production  of  apples  and  strawberries. 
IntertiQed  crops  are  often  grown  m  the  younger  orchards,  and  the 
profit  from  these  often  enables  the  owner  of  the  orchard  to  meet 
running  expenses  until  the  trees  come  into  bearing. 

The  value  of  this  soil  for  agricultural  purposes  varies  greatly, 
depending  largely  upon  the  topography.  The  steep  grass-covered 
slopes  have  no  value  except  for  the  scanty  spring  grazing  they  afford, 
as  much  of  this  soil  is  relatively  shallow  and  the  surface  is  in  many 
places  too  steep  to  allow  of  cultivation.  On  the  other  hand,  there 
are  areas  from  1,000  to  2,000  feet  in  elevation  where  the  surface  is 


26 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,  1912. 


only  slightly  rolling  and  the  soil  commonly  30  feet  or  more  in  depth, 
and  these  locations  are  among  the  choicest  of  the  type.  Between 
these  two  extremes  there  are  all  grades  of  soil,  and  the  intermediate 
phases,  which  constitute  the  greater  part  of  this  type,  are  found  on 
hill  slopes  both  above  and  below  the  more  level  areas,  on  the  slopes 
of  the  ravines  in  which  the  lesser  water  courses  run,  and  on  the  slopes 
of  the  hills  which  border  the  Columbia  and  its  main  tributaries. 

The  following  table  gives  the  average  results  of  mechanical  analyses 
of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Underwood  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

560619,  .560633 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
0.5 
.2 

Per  cent. 
4.1 
3.4 

Per  cent. 
7.5 
6.3 

Per  cent. 
11.8 
10.5 

Per  cent. 
10.5 
10.5 

Per  cent. 
47.6 
45.7 

Per  cent. 
18.0 

560620,560634 

Subsoil 

23.2 

UNDERWOOD    STONY   LOAM. 


The  Underwood  stony  loam  to  a  depth  of  a  few  inches  to  6  feet  or 
more  is  a  light-brown  or  reddish-brown  loam,  containing  a  large 
cjuantity  of  angular  rock  fragments  varying  from  an  inch  in  diameter 
to  large  bowlders.  Within  6  inches  of  the  surface  the  soil  usually 
carries  slightly  more  organic  matter  than  below,  and  for  that  reason 
it  is  slightly  darker  in  color  than  the  underlying  material.  Rock  out- 
crop commonly  occurs  on  the  crests  of  the  elevations,  and  the  bed- 
rock is  often  encountered  at  depths  of  6  feet  or  less  in  places  where 
erosion  has  removed  mucli  of  the  soil. 

This  soil  is  associated  with  the  Underwood  loam  and  always  occu- 
pies the  crests  and  steep  slopes  of  the  mountains,  usually  at  a  greater 
elevation  than  that  type.  The  principal  occurrence  is  in  the  elevated 
mountainous  region  along  the  central-eastern  margin  of  the  area, 
principally  adjoining  the  Hood  River  Valley.  Other  smaller  areas 
occur  in  the  vicinity  of  Dee,  and  one  bod}'  is  located  near  the  town  of 
White  Salmon. 

The  topography  is  in  general  steep  and  the  drainage  excessive. 

This  type  has  the  same  origin  as  the  Underwood  loam,  being  a 
residual  soil  derived  fi'om  basaltic  lava.  It  differs  from  the  loam 
type  in  the  higher  proportion  of  rock  fragments  and  in  the  generally 
shallower  soil  and  subsoil. 

The  forest  growth  on  areas  of  lower  elevation  is  either  oak  or  oak 
and  pine,  while  the  higher  areas  have  either  scrubby  oak  or  are  bare 
with  the  exception  of  a  scanty  covering  of  grasses. 

Owing  to  elevation  and  character  of  surface  the  type  is  generally 
nonii'rigable.  In  the  area  near  the  town  of  Wliite  Salmon  the  topog- 
raphy generally  favors  the  use  of  the  land  for  farming,  but  with  this 


HOOD  RIVER-WHITE   SALMON   RIVER  AREA.  27 

exception  the  type  can  hardly  be  termed  desirable  agricultural  soil 
and  is  best  adapted  to  grazing. 

ROUGH   STONY   LAND. 

This  type  includes  all  areas  where  rock  is  present  in  such  quan- 
tities as  to  render  the  soil  nonagricultural,  except  that  portions  of  the 
type  may  be  utilized  to  some  extent  for  grazmg.  It  mcludes  lava 
gorges  through  which  several  of  the  streams  m  the  area  have  their 
courses,  areas  of  rock  outcrop  on  the  crests  and  steeper  slopes  of 
the  mountains,  and  recent  lava  flows.  The  largest  single  body  of 
this  type  is  m  the  southwestern  part  of  the  area  about  1^  miles 
west  of  Parkdale,  where  one  of  the  last  flows  of  lava  from  Mount 
Hood  lies  as  a  high,  broad,  steep -sided  ridge  100  to  400  feet  above 
the  surrounding  country.  This  ridge  rises  abruptly  from  the  lower 
sods  and  is  made  up  of  innumerable  angular  blocks  of  lava  of 
varying  sizes,  which  are  unweathered  and  apparently  as  fresh  as 
though  but  recently  cooled.  A  few  scattermg  pines  are  found  on 
the  ridge,  but  these  are  growing  m  small  pockets  where  the  soil  has 
apparently  been  lodged  by  the  wind  rather  than  derived  from  the 
breakmg  down  of  the  lava.  The  remamder  of  this  type,  excepting 
the  recent  talus  slopes  at  the  base  of  some  of  the  steeper  areas,  is 
covered  with  a  scattering  stand  of  fir  and  pine. 

ROCKFORD   STONY   CLAY   LOAM. 

The  typical  Rockford  stony  clay  loam  is  a  clay  loam  of  rather 
light  texture  and  of  light-brown  to  reddish-brown  color,  except  in 
localities  of  deficient  drainage,  m  which  the  color  of  the  surface  is 
darker.  The  soil  is  usually  underlain  at  a  depth  of  about  12  inches 
by  a  reddish-brown  to  yellowish-brown,  compact  clay  loam,  in  turn 
resting  on  a  stratum  of  compact  glacial  tUl. 

Fragmental  rock  consistmg  of  glacial  bowlders  is  present  in  all 
of  this  type  in  such  quantities  that  its  removal  is  necessary  before 
the  soil  can  be  cultivated.  In  a  few  places  the  quantity  of  rock  is 
so  large  that  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  would  be  profitable  to  clear 
the  land.  The  rock  fragments  vary  m  size  from  pieces  only  a  few 
inches  m  diameter  to  bowlders  several  feet  m  diameter. 

Typical  bodies  of  this  soil  are  moderately  rolling  and  differentiated 
from  the  bordermg  types  by  beiag  slightly  elevated.  The  surface 
drainage  is  generally  good,  but  subdrainage  is  somewhat  imperfect, 
owing  to  the  compact  subsoil,  and  in  a  few  places  the  lack  of  drainage 
is  indicated  by  a  dift'erence  in  the  color  of  the  soil. 

The  Rockford  stony  clay  loam  occurs  tyj^ically  over  the  sloping 
floor  of  the  valley  west  and  southwest  of  the  town  of  Hood  River. 
One  small  body  occupies  a  terrace  or  elevation  above  Hood  River 
near  Dee. 


28  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1912. 

The  Rockford  stony  clay  loam  is  <lerived  from  glacial  till  or 
morainic  deposits  laid  down  at  a  time  when  the  lower  Hood  River 
Valley  was  filled  by  extensive  ice  sheets  and  left  as  a  blanket  of 
rock  and  soil  on  the  rocky  floor  of  the  valley  upon  the  retreat  of  the 
glaciers.  Remnants  of  this  material  remam  on  the  snow  and  ice 
clad  slopes  of  Mount  Hood.  A  part  of  the  material  has  doubtless 
been  removed  by  subsequent  erosion,  and  this  soil  type  represents 
those  areas  that  have  resisted  removal. 

Forests  of  pme  and  oak,  the  latter  predommating,  originally 
covered  the  entke  area  of  this  soil.  The  growth  was  somewhat 
open  and  there  was  a  fair  grazmg  for  the  cattle  belonging  to  the 
early  settlers.  With  the  extension  of  the  cultivated  area  parts  of 
the  more  level  areas  were  cleared  and  planted  with  orchard,  and  at 
present  possibly  half  of  the  forest  has  been  removed. 

While  parts  of  this  type  carry  so  much  stone  that  it  is  doubtful 
whether  their  clearing  would  prove  profitable,  the  larger  part  of  the 
comparatively  level  bodies  can  be  and  is  beuig  cleared,  the  rock 
removed,  and  orchards  set  out. 

Where  the  physical  conditions  of  this  soil  are  favorable  it  is  well 
adapted  to  the  production  of  the  fruits  grown  in  this  section.  Areas 
of  deficient  drainage  can  be  profitably  used  for  growing  the  forage 
crops. 

Rockford  stony  day  loam,  eroded  phase. — The  Rockford  stony  clay 
loam  includes  an  eroded  phase,  which  is  indicated  on  the  soil  map  by 
means  of  ruling.  This  phase  embraces  sloping  and  hilly,  rocky  lands 
parallelmg  the  Columbia  River  west  of  the  town  of  Hood  River,  on 
the  Oregon  side,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Bingen,  on  the  Washington 
side.  It  carries'  a  greater  quantity  of  rock  fragments  than  the  typical 
soil.  The  clay  loam  fine  earth  may  persist  to  a  depth  of  6  feet  or 
more,  but  in  most  areas  the  subsoil  is  a  heavier  clay  loam,  or  the  clay 
loam  may  be  underlain  at  less  than  6  feet  by  a  mass  of  glacial  bowl- 
ders, with  some  finer  material.  Where  the  heavy  clay  loam  subsoil 
occurs  the  surface  soil  is  seldom  over  18  inches  in  depth.  The  stony 
subsoil  is  commonly  cemented  into  a  very  compact  mass,  wliich  can 
be  broken  only  by  blasting,  and  owing  to  its  presence  portions  of  this 
phase  are  of  no  agricultural  value. 

The  surface  is  always  sloping,  and  the  slopes  are  sometimes  very 
steep,  although  it  is  not  subject  to  erosion.  The  larger  part  of  the 
phase  carries  rocks  in  quantities  sufficient  to  prohibit  its  clearing 
and  utilization  for  cultivated  crops.  The  boundaiy  between  tliis 
phase  of  the  type  and  the  bordering  higher-lying  soils  of  the  floor  of 
the  valley  is  marked  by  an  irregular  line,  at  which  the  surface  of  the 
land  begins  to  drop  toward  the  Columbia  River  or  toward  the  Hood 
River.     Bodies  of  this  phase  are  bordered  on  the  side  nearest  the 


HOOD  KIVER-WHITE   SALMON   EIVER  AREA. 


29 


river  either  by  the  alluvial  soil  along  the  streams  or  by  narrow  areas 
of  Rough  stony  land. 

The  drainage  of  the  phase  is  commonly  deficient.  This  is  due  both 
to  the  seepage  of  water  from  the  higher  lands  and  to  retarded  internal 
drainage,  which  frequently  results  from  the  presence  of  the  under- 
lying cemented  material.  A  small  body  of  land  mapped  as  the 
eroded  phase  of  the  Rockford  stony  clay  loam  and  occuriing  upon 
the  Washmgton  side  of  the  Columbia  River  in  the  ^dcinity  of  Bmgen 
is  of  doubtful  glacial  origin.  The  area  covered  is,  however,  of  small 
extent  and  of  little  agricultural  value  and  does  not  depart  greatly 
from  the  bodies  u])on  the  Oregon  side  m  character  of  soil,  topography, 
or  agricultural  utilization. 

The  tillable  jjortions  of  the  eroded  phase  are  confined  to  small, 
scattered  areas  where  the  cemented  substratum  does  not  lie  near  the 
surface  and  where  the  amount  of  rock  is  not  so  large  as  to  prevent  its 
economical  removal. 

The  following  table  gives  the  average  results  of  mechanical  analyses 
of  typical  samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Rockford  stony  clay  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

560615,560645 

560616,560646 

Soil 

Per  cent. 

0.7 

.6 

Per  cent. 
3.6 
3.9 

Per  cent. 
5.6 
5.7 

Per  cent. 
12.2 
12.3 

Per  cent. 
14.2 
14.6 

Per  cent. 
41.3 

39.8 

Per  cent. 
22.5 

Subsoil 

22.9 

ROCKFORD   CLAY. 


The  Rockford  clay  consists  of  6  to  12  inches  of  a  light-brown  to 
reddish-brown  clay,  with  a  texture  approaching  that  of  a  heavy  clay 
loam.  The  soil  is  rather  compact,  but  under  favorable  conditions  is 
capable  of  being  maintained  m  friable  tilth.  The  subsoil  is  a  compact, 
tenacious  clay,  varying  from  red  or  reddish  brown  in  the  upper  to 
yellowish  brown  m  the  deeper  part.  No  gravel  is  encountered  in 
this  type,  pellets  are  rare,  and  glacial  bowlders  are  present  only  in 
small  quantities  either  within  the  body  of  the  type  or  along  the 
boundary  between  it  and  the  Rockford  stony  clay  loam. 

In  parts  of  this  type  the  surface  soil  has  a  distmct  red  color,  not 
typical  of  the  Rockford  series.  The  areas  of  such  soil,  however,  are 
too  small  to  warrant  map])ing  them  as  a  distinct  type. 

Only  one  body  of  Rockford  clay  is  found  m  the  area.  This  occurs 
in  the  western  part  of  the  Hood  River  Valley,  between  the  slopes  of 
the  momitains  and  the  main  body  of  the  Rockford  stony  clay  loam. 
The  type  occupies  a  number  of  well-developed  ridges  or  rolhng  eleva- 
tions between  which  there  are  a  number  of  small  drainage  ways,  and 


30 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,  1912, 


wliile  subdrainage  is  restricted  by  the  com})act  subsoil,  the  surface 
drainage  is  good. 

While  recognized  in  this  survey  as  a  member  of  the  Rockford  series, 
the  material  of  which  is  derived  from  glacial  tUl  and  morainic  deposits, 
this  type  as  mapped  includes  more  or  less  undifferentiated  coUuvial 
and  allu\ial  foot-slope  material  washed  from  adj  acent  more  elevated 
slopes  occupied  by  the  Underwood  loam  and  the  Rockford  stony  clay 
loam. 

The  Rockford  clay  type  is  largely  cleared  of  its  native  vegetation 
and  used  for  the  production  of  apples,  which  has  met  with  success 
despite  the  hea\'y  subsoil.  It  is  very  probable  that  in  those  areas 
where  the  clay  subsoil  is  most  tenacious  and  lies  nearest  to  the  surface 
the  soil  would  prove  well  adapted  to  the  pear. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of 
samples  of  the  soU  and  subsoil  of  the  Rockford  clay: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Rockford  clay. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

560617 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
0.3 

.7 

Per  cent. 
2.3 
2.3 

Per  cent. 
3.9 
3.9 

Per  cent. 
8.5 

8.7 

Per  cent. 
9.5 
11.0 

Per  cent. 
38. 9 
38.6 

Per  cent. 
36.6 

560618 

Subsoil 

34.8 

PARKDALE    LOAM. 


The  soil  of  the  Parkdale  loam,  to  a  depth  of  12  mches,  is  a  granular, 
friable,  grajdsh-brown  to  yellowish-brown  or  light  reddish  brown 
loam,  containing  a  considerable  number  of  small  iron  concretions  or 
pellets  or  spherically  weathered  fragments  of  basaltic  rock,  similar  to 
those  occurring  m  the  soils  of  the  Underwood  series.  The  subsoil  is 
similar  to  the  soil  in  texture,  or  it  may  be  a  mottled  silt  loam.  It 
very  commonly  differs  from  the  surface  soil  only  ui  that  the  pellets 
are  less  numerous  and  the  color  is  Ughter.  Material  like  the  subsoil 
usually  extends  to  a  considerable  depth  below  6  feet.  At  20  feet  or 
more  below  the  surface  the  material,  as  may  be  seen  in  cuts,  is  a  coarse 
bowlder  till,  and  it  is  probable  that  it  underhes  the  entire  type. 

In  general  this  soil  is  permeable  and  the  dramage  good,  but  there 
are  small  areas  where  the  internal  drainage  is  deficient.  In  these 
places  the  texture  of  the  soil  is  heavier  than  normal,  and  the  effect  of 
the  excess  moisture  has  been  to  bleach  the  materials,  forming  areas 
of  hght-colored  or  ashy-gray  soU. 

The  Parkdale  loam  is  the  prevailing  soil  of  the  upper  Hood  River 
Valley;  that  is,  that  part  of  the  valley  above  the  narrow  gorge  of  the 
Hood  River  at  Winans.  The  vaUey  floor  constitutes  a  visibly  slop- 
ing plain  gradually  rising  toward  the  south,  bordered  on  each  side  by 


HOOD  EIVER-WHITE    SALMON   EIVER  AREA.  31 

the  slopes  of  the  hills  and  mountains  which  rise  from  1,000  to  2,000  feet 
above  it,  and  dissected  by  the  several  forks  of  the  Hood  River.  These 
streams  flow  in  gorges  usually  150  feet  or  more  below  the  general 
level  of  the  plain,  but  only  the  lower  40  or  50  feet  of  these  gorges  is 
cut  in  the  lava  bedrock.  Laterals  from  the  streams  have  worked 
back  into  the  plain  and  m  places  have  dissected  it  thoroughly.  This 
causes  the  topography  to  vary  from  broad,  smooth-topped  ridges  to 
steep  slopes,  the  latter  along  the  stream  channels. 

At  one  time  practically  the  entire  Hood  Kiver  VaUey  was  covered 
with  glaciers  descending  from  the  upper  slopes  of  Mount  Hood. 
Upon  retreating  these  masses  of  ice  left  behind  a  thick  deposit  of 
bowlders,  rock,  gravel,  and  soil,  which  now  lies  just  above  the  lava 
bedrock  of  the  country.  While  the  material  of  the  Parkdale  series 
is  regarded  as  derived  prmcipally  from  weathered  ice-laid  material, 
certain  features  of  the  topography  suggest  a  glacial  outwash  plam. 
The  melting  ice  was  the  source  of  numerous  streams,  which  naturally 
carried  large  amounts  of  eroded  rock  material.  This  would  under 
favorable  conditions  be  deposited  as  a  mantle  of  varying  thickness 
over  the  rocky  till.  In  the  absence  of  bowlders  and  in  the  general 
fine,  sUty  character  of  the  superficial  material  the  soil  further  re- 
sembles the  material  of  water-laid  sediments,  and  the  soil  and  sub- 
soil may  consist  m  part  or  even  predominantly  of  glacial  outwash 
sediments.  The  underlying  glacial  tiU,  on  the  other  hand,  appears 
to  have  been  deeply  weathered,  and  the  soil  may  be  solely  the  result 
of  the  nearly  complete  weathering  of  ice-laid  material. 

The  native  vegetation  consists  of  a  dense  growth  of  fir  upon  the 
ridges,  with  cedar  and  a  number  of  deciduous  trees  in  the  narrow 
stream  bottoms. 

Although  this  part  of  the  area  has  been  inhabited  for  many  years, 
it  is  only  within  the  last  five  years  that  there  has  been  any  serious 
attempt  to  develop  it  agriculturally.  Lack  of  transportation  facilities 
has  been  the  greatest  hindrance  to  progress  in  this  part  of  the  area, 
but  now  that  railroad  transportation  is  available  the  land  is  being 
rapidly  cleared  and  put  under  cultivation.  Both  hay  and  orchard 
crops  are  now  grown,  and  the  conditions  are  favorable  for  a  con- 
siderable extension  of  the  acreage  devoted  to  them.  Where  the 
soil  is  well  dramed,  apples  and  strawberries  do  well,  but  on  account 
of  the  short  growhig  season,  due  to  elevation,  the  production  of 
some  crops  is  impracticable.  Where  drainage  is  not  excessive,  the 
soil  is  retentive  of  moisture,  and  the  native  grasses,  as  well  as  clover 
and  alfalfa,  yield  well. 


32 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,  1912. 


The  folloA\diig  table  gives  the  average  results  of  mechanical  analyses 
of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Parkdalc  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

560604,560606... 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
2.2 
1.1 

Per  cent. 
5.0 
4.2 

Per  cent. 

7.4 
6.7 

Per  cent. 
14.5 
13.0 

Per  cent. 
12.7 
10.4 

Per  cent. 
46.7 
51.2 

Per  cent. 
11.4 

560605,560607 

Subsoil 

13.5 

HOOD   SILT  LOAM. 


The  soil  of  the  Hood  silt  loam  is  of  light-gray  or  yellowish-gray 
color,  excepting  in  a  few  poorly  dramed  areas,  where  the  color  ranges 
from  dark  gray  to  nearly  black.  The  soil  is  predominantly  a  silt 
loam,  the  silt  content,  however,  being  rather  low  and  replaced  to  a 
large  extent  by  very  fine  sand.  In  many  localities  it  closely  ap- 
proaches a  loam  or  silty,  fine  sandy  loam  in  texture,  and  some  un- 
differentiated bodies  havmg  a  light  loam  or  heavy  fine  sandy  loam 
texture  occur.  The  variation  in  texture  is,  however,  not  %vide,  and 
in  general  appearance,  structure,  and  relation  to  agriculture  the  type 
is  remarkably  uniform.  A  few  concretions  or  pellets  occur  in  places, 
and  where  the  tyjDC  adjoins  the  Underwood  loam  there  has  been 
here  and  there  an  admixture  of  material  washed  from  the  slopes 
occupied  by  the  latter  soil. 

The  subsoil  is  a  loam  or  silt  loam  and  very  much  like  the  soil  in 
texture  and  color,  but  there  are  a  number  of  places  m  the  Hood  River 
Valley  where  the  subsoil  is  extremely  compact,  bemg  locally  known 
as  a  hardpan.  This  compact  material  is  frequently  slightly  cemented, 
and  causes  considerable  trouble  in  handlhig  the  orchards,  as  it  not 
only  hhiders  the  internal  dramage  of  the  soil,  but  prevents  the  normal 
development  of  the  tree  roots,  resulting  m  a  decrease  m  the  vigor 
and  productiveness  of  the  trees. 

In  depth  the  soil  mass  is  subject  to  more  or  less  iiTegularity.  In 
the  Wliite  Salmon  River  Valley,  so  far  as  could  be  determined,  it  rests 
directly  upon  the  underl}dng  basalt,  wliich  may  occur  at  any  depth 
between  6  and  100  feet.  In  the  Hood  River  Valley  the  soil  is  appar- 
ently underlaui  in  places  both  by  deposits  of  glacial  till  and  by  strlita 
of  an  incoherent,  yeUowish-brown  sand,  though  neither  of  these 
formations  seem  to  occur  witliin  10  or  15  feet  of  the  surface.  In  the 
areas  of  the  deeper  deposits  the  substratum  underlying  the  subsoil 
usually  consists  of  compact,  stratified  fine  sand,  fuie  sandy  loam,  or 
more  frequently  of  finer  sediments  of  silty  clay  loam  or  silty  day 
texture.  Both  soil  and  subsoil  material  are  free  from  gravel,  bowlders, 
or  other  rock  fragments,  except  in  a  few  localities  adjoining  other  soil 


HOOD  RIVER-WHITE    SALMON    RIVER  AREA.  33 

types  from  which  a  small  admixtm:"e  of  such  material  may  have  been 
derived. 

The  Hood  silt  loam  is  found  m  both  of  the  valleys  in  this  area.  In 
the  Hood  River  Valley  it  covers  the  greater  part  of  the  lower  valley 
floor  between  the  Hood  River  and  the  range  of  mountains  along  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  area.  A  relatively  small  area  is  also  found 
just  west  of  the  Hood  River,  where  it  occurs  in  a  long,  narrow  body 
approximately  parallel  mth  the  stream.  In  the  White  Salmon 
Valley  the  type  occupies  aU  of  the  slightly  elevated  lands  along  the 
White  Salmon  River,  from  a  point  about  3  miles  north  of  Husum 
southward  to  the  Columbia  River.  It  also  forms  a  long,  narrow 
body  in  the  dramage  basm  of  Jewett  Creek,  a  short  distance  north  of 
the  town  of  White  Salmon. 

In  the  Hood  River  VaUey  the  general  slope  of  this  type  is  from  the 
mountains  toward  the  river.  It  has  a  generally  uniform  surface, 
but  includes  a  number  of  low,  broad  ridges.  Along  Hood  River  the 
type  forms  in  places  a  nearly  precipitous  bluff,  or  slopes  more  gently 
to  the  stream.  In  the  latter  case  the  areas  are  not  too  steep  for  culti- 
vation. In  the  White  Salmon  Valley  the  topography  is  subject  to 
considerable  variation,  the  type  occurrmg  either  as  relatively  smooth 
slopes  above  the  streams  or  as  prominent  knolls  and  ridges  rising 
toward  the  mountams  on  each  side. 

The  drainage  is  generally  good,  though  where  the  soil  is  unusually 
compact  the  internal  movement  of  water  is  retarded.  In  an  area  in 
the  vicinity  of  OdeU  the  surface  drainage  is  but  partially  developed. 
Here  the  artificial  drainage  may  be  provided  b}^  digging  ditches  and 
laymg  tiles,  but  where  the  compact  subsoil  is  found  blasting  will  have 
to  be  employed  to  improve  the  conditions. 

The  origin  and  mode  of  formation  of  this  type  is  not  altogether 
clear,  but  it  seems  to  have  been  derived  from  old  sedimentary  deposits 
laid  down  over  areas  of  basalt  or  glacial  till.  In  the  White  Salmon 
Valley  the  substratum  of  tiU  is  apparently  absent,  but  the  simi- 
larity of  color,  texture,  and  structure  m  tiie  bodies  of  tliis  soil  on  both 
sides  of  the  Columbia  River  indicate  a  similarity  in  the  method  of 
formation  of  the  soil  proper. 

The  uniform  fuieness  of  the  material  suggests  that  it  was  deposited 
in  quiet  waters.  The  deposition  probably  took  place  iti  sheltered 
bays  or  estuaries  occupying  the  vaUeys  durmg  a  period  of  depression. 
One  or  more  periods  of  relative  depression  are  believed  to  have  taken 
place  subsequent  to  the  active  period  of  glaciation.  At  such  times 
the  waters  of  the  Columbia  and  its  tributaries  must  have  backed  far 
up  the  valleys. 

The  deposits  probably  consist  mainly  of  glacial  sediments  derived 
from  basaltic  and  andesitic  rocks  and  carried  into  the  area  of  deposi- 


34 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,  1912. 


tion  by  the  streams  draining  the  high  glacier-clad  peaks.  There 
may  also  have  been  an  admixture  of  volcanic  ash  deposited  directly 
in  the  waters  or  eroded  from  adjacent  slopes,  and  the  material  may 
include  some  alluvial  valley  filling  washed  from  the  slopes  of  adjacent 
more  elevated  soils. 

In  the  White  Salmon  Valley  a  greater  part  of  the  type  was  origi- 
nally covered  with  a  dense  stand  of  fir,  and  along  the  stream  courses 
heavy  growths  of  deciduous  timber  and  underbrush  were  always 
present.  Much  of  this  forest  still  remains,  but  it  is  now  rapidly  dis- 
appearmg  before  the  agricultural  development  of  the  valley.  In  the 
Hood  River  Valley  the  native  vegetation  mcluded  pine  and  scattering 
oak,  with  but  little  brush  and  grass,  and  at  present  comparatively  little 
of  the  original  forest  remains.  With  but  few  exceptions,  this  part  of 
the  type  is  devoted  to  the  production  of  fruit,  the  only  other  crop 
being  a  small  amount  of  forage  grown  between  the  fruit  trees  or  on 
the  moist  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  Odell. 

Wliere  adequately  drained  this  type  of  sod  is  well  adapted  to  the 
production  of  apples.  Where  the  soil  is  unusually  moist  forage  crops 
do  exceptionally  well,  and  m  this  area,  where  there  is  such  a  lack  of 
these  products,  the  prices  obtained  are  sufficiently  high  to  warrant 
the  use  of  all  such  areas  for  hay  and  forage  production. 

The  following  table  gives  the  average  results  of  mechanical  analyses 
of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Hood  silt  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Sil^ 

Clay. 

660625,560641 

560626,560642 

Soil 

Subsoil 

Per  cent. 
0.4 

.1 

Per  cent. 
2.4 

.8 

Per  cent. 
4.8 
1.9 

Per  cent. 
9.6 

7.8 

Per  cent. 
20.3 
26.6 

Per  cent. 

48.8 
42.8 

Per  cent. 
13.6 
19.8 

WIND    RIVER    STONY   LOAM. 


The  Wind  River  stony  loam  consists  usually  of  6  feet  or  more  of  a 
light-brown  to  reddish-brown  heavy  loam.  It  is  generally  granular 
and  friable,  and  contains  large  quantities  of  rock,  consisting  of  sub- 
angular  fragments  of  basalt  scattered  over  the  surface  and  through- 
out the  soil  profile.  In  places  this  coarse  material  is  so  abundant  that 
it  is  impracticable  to  clear  the  land.  Some  areas  have  a  rather  shal- 
low soil  and  are  underlain  by  basaltic  rock  m  place.  Here  a  small 
amount  of  undifferentiated  residual  material  may  be  included  with 
the  alluvial  sod. 

This  soil  occurs  as  a  single  body  occupying  a  bench  or  terrace  in  the 
White  Salmon  Valley,  lying  about  600  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
Columbia  River.     On  the  west  and  north  sides  it  merges  with  the 


HOOD  RIVER-WHITE   SALMON    RIVER  AREA.  35 

rolling  hills  and  mountain  slopes  covered  with  the  Underwood  loam. 
The  topography  is  sloping  to  gently  rollmg,  and  the  dramage  is  good. 

This  is  an  old  alluvial  soil,  deposited  at  a  time  when  the  flood  plain 
of  the  Columbia  River  stood  at  this  level.  The  color  and  structure 
of  the  soil  and  the  nature  of  the  embedded  rocks  mdicate  that  much 
of  the  material  of  this  type  has  not,  however,  been  transported  for 
any  considerable  distance,  and  the  supei'ficial  soil  material  has  doubt- 
less been  derived,  at  least  in  part,  from  recent  alluvial  wash  from 
near-by  sloping  areas  of  the  Underwood  loam. 

The  forest  on  this  type  consists  of  fir,  pine,  and  scrubby  oak,  but  the 
larger  part  of  the  area  origmally  forested  has  been  cleared  and  the 
land  set  in  orchards.  The  uncleared  areas  are  very  rocky  and  it  is 
doubtful  whether  it  would  be  profitable  to  clear  and  plant  these 
sections.  With  one  or  two  exceptions,  none  of  the  orchards  are  in 
bearing,  and  those  that  have  reached  the  bearing  age  have  not  been 
producing  for  a  sufficient  length. of  time  to  determme  the  value  of  this 
soil  in  the  growing  of  apples.  The  development  of  the  trees  indicates 
that  the  soil  is  well  adapted  to  them,  but  some  doubt  is  expressed  as 
to  the  ability  of  the  type  to  mamtam  heavily  bearmg  orchards  with- 
out the  aid  of  UTigation.  No  water  is  now  available  and  it  will  be 
difficult  to  supply,  owing  to  the  position  of  the  type. 

WIND    RIVER    GRAVELLY    SANDY   LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Wind  River  gravelly  sandy  loam  consists 
of  from  6  to  18  inches  of  a  light- textured,  friable  sandy  loam,  usually 
containing  a  relatively  high  proportion  of  sdt  and  very  fine  sand. 
It  is  light  brown  to  reddish  brown  m  color,  and  carries  a  large  quan- 
tity of  ffiie  gravel,  mainly  small  red  pellets,  concretions  of  spherically 
weathered  basaltic  particles.  The  subsoil  is  either  a  sandy  loam 
similar  in  texture  to  the  surface  soil,  or  a  loamy  sand  showing  more 
or  less  stratification  and  carrymg  varying  quantities  of  ffiie,  sub- 
angular  or  waterworn  gravel.  In  places  the  sandy  loam  subsoil  has 
the  same  color  as  the  surface  soil,  but  it  is  more  commonly  a  lighter 
brown  or  yellowish  brown.  The  loamy  sand  subsoil  is  always  gray. 
The  gravel  of  the  subsoil  is  made  up  of  small  rock  particles  which 
have  been  rounded  by  the  action  of  water. 

In  extent  this  is  one  of  the  minor  types  of  the  area.  It  is  developed 
in  four  small  bodies.  The  area  nearest  Hood  River  has  a  very 
uniform  surface,  except  along  the  course  of  Indian  Creek,  where 
there  is  a  sharp  descent  to  the  bed  of  that  stream.  The  body  in  the 
Wliite  Salmon  River  Valley  also  has  a  uniform  surface,  which  slopes 
sharply  from  the  hUls  toward  Jewett  Creek  and  the  basaltic  cliff 
overlooking  the  Columbia  River. 

The  drainage  of  this  type  is  always  good,  and  in  places  where  the 
sandy  subsoil  lies  near  the  surface  it  is  excessive.     The  topography 


36 


FIELD   OPERATIONS  OF   THE  BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1912. 


and  character  of  the  material  indicate  that  the  type  is  of  alluvial 
origin.  It  may,  however,  include  more  or  less  glacial  outwash 
material. 

Origmally  the  type  was  covered  with  a  mixed  forest  of  oak  and 
pine,  but  owing  to  the  nearness  of  the  areas  to  the  principal  towns 
in  the  area  they  have  all  been  cleared,  and  are  occupied  by  town 
dwellings  or  used  for  farming. 

Owmg  to  its  low  power  to  hold  moisture  the  Wind  River  gravelly 
sandy  loam  is  of  little  value  for  cultivated  crops  without  krigation,  but 
with  ii'rigation  apples  and  berries  do  well,  attammg  as  good  size,  color, 
and  flavor  as  the  fruits  grown  on  some  of  the  heavier  soils  in  the  area. 
For  the  production  of  vegetables  and  truck  crops  under  irrigation, 
this  soil  is  almost  as  valuable  as  are  the  alluvial  soils  along  the  Colum- 
bia River. 

The  following  table  gives  the  average  results  of  mechanical  analyses 
of  samples  of  the  soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Wind  Biver  gravelly  sayidy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
.sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

560612,560629 

560613. 560&30...    . 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
9.3 
9.9 

Per  cent. 
15.8 
27.9 

Per  cent. 
7.9 
13.4 

Per  cent. 
6.8 
6.4 

Per  cent. 
12.2 
9.9 

Per  cent. 
37.8 
23.1 

Per  cent. 
10.1 

Subsoil . 

9.4 

WIND    RIVER    SANDY   LOAM. 


The  soil  of  the  Wind  River  sandy  loam  is  a  sandy  loam  of  light- 
brown  to  reddish-brown  color  and  of  open,  porous  structure.  The 
subsoil  is  sunilar  m  texture  and  structure  to  the  soil  material,  but 
somewhat  lighter  m  color  in  the  lower  depths.  The  subsoil  is  under- 
lain at  varymg  depths  below  2  feet  by  a  stratum  of  grayish  gravelly 
loamy  sand,  similar  to  that  underhmig  other  members  of  the  series. 
The  soil  differs  from  the  gravelly  sandy  loam  of  the  same  series  prmci- 
pally  m  the  absence  of  the  fuie  red  pellets,  though  apparently  iden- 
tical with  it  in  origin  and  mode  of  formation. 

An  irregular  body  of  this  soil  lies  south  and  southwest  of  the  town 
of  Hood  River,  and  two  small  bodies  are  found  m  the  White  Salmon 
River  Valley  north  of  the  town  of  Underwood. 

Wlien  first  cleared  of  the  fir  and  oak  forest  this  soil  was  devoted  to 
the  production  of  strawberries.  The  berry  fields  are  now  giving 
place  to  apple  orchards.  Irrigation  is  generally  considered  necessary 
for  the  profitable  production  of  these  fruits.  Water  is  required  by 
the  strawberry  throughout  the  growing  season,  but  in  a  large  number 
of  the  orchards  no  water  is  applied  until  the  trees  come  into  bearing. 
Wind  River  saiuhj  loam,  light  ijliase. — The  Wmd  River  sandy  loam, 
light  phase,  consists  of  a  porous,  slightly  coherent  sandy  loam,  carry- 


HOOD   KIVEE-WHITE    SALMON    RIVEE   AREA. 


37 


iiig  sufficient  quantities  of  finer  material  to  render  it  slightly  sticky 
when  wet.  The  color  varies  from  a  light  brown  to  a  yellowish  or 
reddish  brown  and,  as  the  surface  soil  usually  contains  some  organic 
matter,  its  color  is  darker  than  that  of  the  subsoil.  In  texture  and 
structure  the  subsoil  is  usually  similar  to  the  soil  material.  On 
account  of  the  light,  loose,  incoherent  nature  of  the  soil,  it  is  subject 
to  drifting  when  the  surface  is  not  protected.  Beds  of  stratified  sand 
and  fine  gravel  are  commonly  present  at  varying  depths  below  6  feet. 

One  body  of  this  phase  of  the  Wind  River  sandy  loam  occurs  south 
of  the  town  of  Hood  River,  near  the  center  of  a  large  body  of  the 
typical  soil.  Near  by  are  a  number  of  smaller  bodies  of  the  phase, 
but  as  they  are  seldom  more  than  an  acre  or  so  in  extent  it  is  imprac- 
ticable to  show  them  on  the  map.  The  surface  of  the  soil  is  very 
uniform.     Drainage  is  excessive. 

The  soU  is  almost  entirely  under  cultivation,  and  when  properly 
handled  it  has  proved  well  adapted  to  the  production  of  apples  and 
strawberries.  It  would  also  give  excellent  results  with  truck  crops. 
Owing  to  the  sandy  nature  of  the  type,  the  addition  of  organic  matter 
in  some  form  is  necessary  in  the  production  of  aU  crops.  The  soil 
also  requires  copious  irrigation. 

The  foUowiiig  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  the 
soU  and  subsoil  of  the  typical  Wind  River  sandy  loam  and  of  a  single 
analysis  of  the  soU  of  the  light  phase  of  the  type: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Wind  River  sandy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium       Fine 
sand.         sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

Typical: 

560601,560639. 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
3.9 
6.3 
0.4 

Per  cent. 
14.5 
20.2 
12.0 

Per  cent. 
20.2 
22.6 
27.0 

Per  cent. 
17.9 
13.6 
28.2 

Per  cent. 
9.9 
7.5 
9.7 

Per  cent. 
22.5 
20.3 
14.9 

Per  cent. 
ILl 

560640 

Light   phase: 
560602. 

Subsoil 

SoU 

9.4 

7.8 

WIND    RIVER   FINE    SANDY   LOA>f. 

The  soil  and  subsoil  material  of  the  Wind  River  fine  sandy  loam 
is  a  friable,  brown  or  light-brown  fine  sandy  loam,  containing  a 
relatively  large  proportion  of  coarse  and  medium  sand.  The  material 
is  not  marked  by  any  decided  change  in  color  or  texture,  though  the 
shade  of  brown  becomes  somewhat  lighter  with  depth.  Basalt  rock 
underlies  the  type  and  seems  to  have  an  extremely  kregular  surface, 
so  that  the  depth  of  the  soil  is  subject  to  sudden  variations.  In 
many  places  the  soil  is  but  a  few  inches  in  depth,  and  rock  outcrop 
is  common,  while  within  a  short  distance  it  may  be  10  or  12  feet  deep. 
Some  fine,  waterworn  gravel,  derived  from  higher  lying  masses  of 
volcanic  rock,  is  present  in  places,  but  seldom  in  sufficient  quantities 


38  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    TUE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   Htl2. 

to  be  of  auy  importance.  The  pellets  conspicuous  in  most  of  the 
other  members  of  the  Wind  Kivor  series  are  wantin<r- 

The  type  occm*s  on  the  nearly  smooth,  sloping  floor  of  the  iii)i)cr 
White  Salmon  River  Valley,  in  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the 
area,  and  as  a  single  small  bod}'  in  the  Hood  Iliver  Valley,  about 
2  miles  west  of  the  to^vn  of  Ilood  River. 

The  drainage  is  usually  good  to  slightly  excessive.  The  uuder- 
hiiig  rock  hi  the  White  Salmon  River  Valley  consists  of  a  sheet  of 
basaltic  lava  of  recent  date,  the  sm-facc  of  which,  over  much  of  the 
area  covered  by  tliis  soil  type,  is  marked  h^^  irregular  mounds  of 
protrudmg  rock  vrith  mtervenhig  depressions  jiartially  fiUed  with  soil 
material.  The  u-regularities  of  surface  have  doubtless  been  caused 
b}'  steam,  the  mounds  often  appearmg  as  steam  blisters  from  a  few 
feet  to  a  few  rods  m  diameter.  Owmg  to  this  structure  excessive 
subdrainage  is  a  general  characteristic  of  the  soil  t}'po,  and,  miless 
there  is  a  considerable  depth  of  soil  to  act  as  a  reservoir  for  moisture, 
irrigation  or  raui  water  rapidly  percolates  below  the  reach  of  ])lant 
roots. 

The  soil  is  apparently  of  alluvial  origui  and  without  relation  to  the 
underh-ing  lava.  It  is  not,  however,  m  all  respects  tA'pical  of  the 
Wind  River  series,  and  fm-ther  field  studies  may  warrant  placmg  it 
m  a  distinct  series.  The  material  is  apparently  derived  mainly  from 
basaltic  rocks,  and  it  seems  probable  that  foUowhig  the  filling  in  of 
the  vaUey  depression  by  the  flow  of  lava  m  the  Wliite  Salmon  River 
Valley,  a  stream,  now  represented  by  the  White  Salmon  River,  fol- 
lowed a  course  across  the  lava  and  deposited  a  mantle  of  sedhnent 
derived  from  the  material  eroded  from  the  soils  and  rocks  on  the 
southern  and  southwestern  slopes  of  Momit  Adams.  In  the  Hood 
River  Valley  the  soil  occupies  a  small  area  of  elevated  terrace  and  is 
a  remnant  of  an  old  elevated  plaui  of  the  Columbia  River.  It  is  not 
unlikely  that  some  material  derived  by  weathering  of  the  miderljing 
basaltic  rock  has  been  mixed  with  th(^  alluvium,  but  the  basalt  where 
exposed  shows  little  c\ddence  of  wcathermg. 

The  original  forest  growth  on  this  type  consisted  of  phie,  witli  but 
little  undergrowth  of  brush  or  grass.  The  stand  of  pine  was  scatter- 
ing, on  account  of  the  scanty  supply  of  moistm'e,  in  marked  contrast 
to  the  heavily  forested  and  brush-covered  slopes  of  the  bordering 
mountams,  where  the  de])th  of  the  soil  and  the  presence  of  moisture 
are  favorable  to  the  growth  of  trees. 

On  account  of  the  shallowness  of  much  of  this  tyi)e,  the  area  of 
cultivable  land  is  small.  It  is  only  hi  thost^  ])arts  where  the  soil  is 
of  considerable  dci:)th  that  any  cultivation  has  been  attempted,  and 
then  only  with  the  aid  of  nrigation.  Hay  crops,  such  as  native 
grasses,  aUaKa,  and  clover,  do  well  and  are  grown  for  the  feedmg  of 
work  anhnals  or  thxiry  stock.     Some  fruit,  includmg  apples,  crab 


HOOD  EIVER-WHITE   SALMON   KIVER  AREA. 


39 


apples,  and  strawberries,  are  grown,  but  in  the  upper  Wliite  Salmon 
River  VaUey  the  commercial  planting  of  these  fruits  is  attended  by 
considerable  risk,  owing  to  elevation  and  consequent  increased  danger 
of  late  sprmg  frosts. 

The  follo^\dng  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  the 
soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Wind  River  fine  sandy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

560623 

Soil.   . 

Per  cent. 
4.6 
3.6 

Per  cent. 
10.8 
9.6 

Per  cent. 

8.7 
S.6 

Per  cent. 
17.6 
18.1 

Per  cent. 
13.4 
13.9 

Per  cent. 
34.8 
36.1 

Percent. 
10  1 

560624 

Subsoil 

10.1 

WIND     RIVER    LOAM. 


The  soil  of  the  Wind  River  loam  consists  of  a  friable  brown  to  dark 
reddish  brown  loam,  carrj-ing  appreciable  quantities  of  smaU  red 
pellets.  The  subsoil  is  in  most  cases  of  a  Hghter  brouTi  color,  though 
generally  similar  to  the  soil  in  other  respects.  Occasionally  it  is  a  light- 
gray,  more  compact  loam.  It  is  usually  underlam  by  a  stratified 
grayish  sand,  often  containing  small  quantities  of  fine,  waterworn, 
and  subangular  gravel,  and  suth  material  may  displace  the  hea^der 
subsoil  at  depths  ranging  from  12  mches  to  6  feet. 

Three  bodies  of  this  type  occur  in  the  lower  Hood  River  VaUey, 
west  of  the  river,  the  largest  development  being  east  and  northeast 
of  Oak  Grove.  The  other  bodies  m  this  valley  are  not  far  from  the 
town  of  Hood  River,  to  the  west  and  southwest.  In  that  part  of  the 
area  lying  in  Washuigton  the  type  occurs  in  the  middle  and  upper 
parts  of  the  White  Salmon  Valley. 

The  topography  varies  from  smooth  to  rolling.  The  body  of  the 
tj^e  near  Oak  Grove  has  the  more  rolling  surface,  bemg  cut  by  a 
number  of  small  intermittent  drainage  ways  leading  to  the  river. 
The  type  usually  has  an  elevation  of  several  hundred  feet  above  the 
present  stream  valleys.  In  the  smaller  body  of  this  sod,  about  3  miles 
southwest  of  the  town  of  Hood  River,  the  surface  is  somewhat  lower 
than  that  of  the  sm-rounding  soils  and  the  drainage  outlets  are  in- 
adequate. With  this  exception  the  drainage  of  this  type  is  very 
good. 

The  soil  is  apparently  the  result  of  alluvial  agencies,  but  the  material 
may  be  in  part  outwash  material  from  former  glaciers. 

Originally  the  type  supported  a  moderately  heavy  stand  of  fir, 
with  a  scattering  of  oak  in  places,  and  a  rather  thin  growth  of  grass 
and  small  brush.  At  the  present  time,  in  the  Hood  River  Valley, 
all  of  the  forest  has  been  removed  and  the  land  is  largely  in  orchards. 


40 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,  1912. 


Ill  the  White  Sahnon  Valley  most  of  tlu^  laud  is  still  uncloaivd  and  on 
much  of  it  a  heav^^  stand  of  fir  remains. 

With  the  exce]->tion  of  the  body  where  the  dramage  conditions  are 
not  well  established,  all  of  tliis  soil  is  well  adajjted  to  the  i)roductiou 
of  large  and  small  fruits.  In  the  moister  areas  forage  crops  j-ield 
well.  It  is  utihzed  mauily  for  the  ]>roductiou  of  apples,  strawberries, 
and  graui  and  hay  crops. 

The follo^ving  table  gives  the  average  results  of  mechanical  analyses 
of  the  soil  and  of  a  single  analysis  of  the  subsoil  of  tliis  tj-j^e: 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Wind  River  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  flue 
saiid. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

560621,  560647. . .. 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
1-f 

Per  cent. 
5.9 
4.7 

Per  cent. 

7. 7 
8.1 

Per  cent. 
12.3 
12.5 

Percent. 
11.2 
12.1 

Per  cent. 
45.9 
39.5 

Per  cent. 
15.4 

560622 

Subsoil 

22.3 

WINANS    GRAVELLY   SANDY    LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Winans  gravelly  sandy  loam  varies  widely  in  texture, 
but  it  is  typically'  a  light-textured,  light-bro^\^l  or  grayish-brown 
sandy  loam  containing  a  large  quantity  of  subangular  to  well- 
rounded  cobbles,  bowlders,  and  graA'el.  The  subsoil  is  similar  in 
color,  texture,  and  structure  to  the  soil  and  generally  extends  to  a 
depth  of  6  feet  or  more.  It  is  underlain  by  a  stratum  of  waterworn 
gravel,  cobbles,  and  sand,  sometimes  at  a  depth  of  less  than  6  feet. 

This  is  one  of  the  less  important  types  of  the  area,  bemg  found  hi 
only  a  few  small  bodies  along  the  Hood  River.  It  occupies  bottom 
lands  in  recent  narrow  stream  vallej^^s,  but  is  generally  elevated 
several  feet  above  the  stream  channel  and  is  not  subject  to  overflow. 

The  type  varies  from  small  areas  of  soil  of  fahly  uniform  surface 
to  long,  narrow  areas  where  the  surface  slopes  sharply  toward  the 
stream.     The  areas  are  commonh'  marked  by  former  stream  channels. 

The  Winans  gravelly  sandy  loam  is  a  rather  recent  alluvial  soil, 
composed  of  material  ])robably  derived  mauily  from  near-by  areas 
of  stony  glacial  till. 

The  agricultural  value  of  this  type  is  dependent  upon  the  quantity 
of  fragment al  rock  in  the  soil,  the  character  of  the  forest,  and  the 
regularity  of  the  surface.  It  is  not  an  important  agricultural  soil 
but  is  utilized  to  some  extent  for  the  production  of  apples,  straw- 
berries, and  hay  crops.  The  larger  part  of  the  type  is  rather  porous, 
and  excessively  drainetl,  and  without  ii-rigation  is  not  well  adapted 
to  the  production  of  orchard  or  forage  crops. 


HOOD   RIVEE-WHTTE    SALMON    RIVER  AREA. 


41 


The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  a  meclianical  analysis  of  a 
sample  of  the  soil  of  this  type: 

Mechanical  analysis  of  Winans  gravelly  sai^dy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

riay. 

560603 

Soil 

Ptr  ccnl. 
R.9 

Per  cinl. 
20.7 

/V  r  cent. 
15.5 

Per  cent. 
22.1 

Per  cent. 
9.3 

Per  cent. 
16.7 

Per  cent. 
6  S 

WINANS    LOAM. 


The  texture  of  the  soil  of  this  type  shows  a  wide  variation,  not 
only  between  the  different  bodies  but  also  wdtliin  narrow  Ihiiits  in 
each  body,  and  the  type  as  mapped  includes  small  areas  of  sandy 
loam  and  of  light  clay  loam  texture.  The  prevaUhig  soil,  however, 
Ls  a  fine,  smooth,  slightly  sticky  loam.  The  color  of  the  soil  and 
subsoil  is  also  subject  to  considerable  variation,  but  is  typically 
grayish  brown  to  reddish  brown.  Waterworn  basaltic  gravel  may 
or  may  not  be  present  m  the  type,  and  where  encountered  it  is  most 
abundant  m  the  subsoU.  The  subsoil  is  general!}^  similar  in  texture 
and  structure  to  the  surface  soil  and  of  shghtly  lighter  color.  It  is 
underlam  by  a  stratum  of  waterworn,  stream-deposited  gravels. 

The  surface  of  this  type  is  smooth,  slopmg,  and  broken  only  by 
the  present  streams  and  by  a  few  swales  that  indicate  the  courses 
of  former  drainage  ways.  In  general  the  type  is  lower  than  the 
surrounding  soils,  from  which  it  is  usually  separated  by  an  abrupt 
terrace,  10  feet  or  more  in  height.  On  account  of  the  low  position  of 
the  larger  bodies  of  this  soil,  di-amage  is  commonly  deficient.  Small 
areas  of  the  soil  are  occasionally  overflowed. 

The  principal  areas  of  the  Winans  loam  are  long,  narrow  stri])s 
occupymg  the  bottoms  along  Neal,  Odell,  and  Phelps  Creeks  and 
the  East  Fork  of  Hood  River  in  the  Hood  River  Valley.  One  small 
body  occupies  stream  terraces  in  the  vicinity  of  Ilusum  in  the  Wliitc 
Salmon  River  Valley.  A  part  of  this  area  forms  a  somewhat  higher 
terrace  than  do  the  typical  areas,  and  the  soil  has  a  dark-brown  color 
and  a  much  heavier"  texture. 

The  soil  is  alluvial  and  of  rather  recent  origin,  having  been  deposited 
by  the  earlier  activities  of  the  present  streams.  The  material  com- 
posing it  has  been  derived  from  the  mountain  slopes,  where  the 
Underwood  loam  is  the  prevailing  type  of  soil. 

The  native  vegetation,  which  included  hi',  pine,  cedar,  and  decid- 
uous trees  and  brush,  has  been  largely  removed  and  the  land  devoted 
to  forage  and  orchard  crops.  The  pear  has  been  most  generally 
planted  on  this  soil.  Although  this  fruit  will  withstand  rather 
adverse  conditions,  the  high  moisture  content" of  this  soil  and  the 


42  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF   SOILS,   1912. 

greater  likeliliood  of  late  spring  frosts,  owing  to  low  dovation,  make  it 
a  poor  fruit  soil  and  not  well  adapted  to  commercial  orchards.  This 
soil  is  well  suited  to  clover  and  alfalfa,  and  it  should  be  devoted  chiefly 
to  these  or  similar  crops. 

COLUMBI.\    FINE    SANDY    I.OAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Columbia  Ime  sandy  loam  is  ])redommantly  a  porous, 
friable  fine  sandy  loam  of  light  grayish  brown  to  buff  color.  The  sub- 
soil is  generally  similar  m  color,  texture,  and  structure  to  the  soil 
material,  and  is  underlain  at  varying  depths  by  stratified  stream-laid 
sands  ami  by  basaltic  bedrock. 

The  soil  is  alluvial  and  has  been  formed  by  deposition  of  material 
from  overflow  waters  of  the  Columbia  River.  Owmg  to  the  varying 
nature  of  the  materials  carrietl  by  the  stream,  and  the  irregularity 
with  which  they  have  been  laid  dowTi,  the  structure  and  texture  of  the 
type  is  subject  to  considerable  variation,  even  within  small  areas. 
Near  Bmgen  the  prevailing  soil  is  a  moderately  fuie  sandy  loam,  m 
which  small  amounts  of  fine  waterworn  gravel  sometunes  occur.  On 
the  south  bank  of  the  Columbia  River,  from  the  mouth  of  Hood  River 
eastward  to  the  boundary  of  the  areas,  the  soil  is  usually  a  very  fuie 
sandy  loam,  free  from  gravel  or  rock.  West  of  the  mouth  of  Hood 
River  it  is  a  heavy  fine  sandy  loam,  and  in  small  areas  almost  a  silt 
loam.  In  some  small  areas  this  type  is  uniform  to  a  considerable 
depth,  but  in  general  the  soil  is  made  up  of  a  number  of  thin  strata  of 
material  varymg  from  fine  sands  to  silt  loams.  Gravel  and  bowlders 
are  decidedly  rare  in  this  soil,  being  encountered  only  in  the  body  of 
the  type  near  Bmgen,  and  even  here  the  amount  of  the  coarser  mate- 
rial is  too  small  to  be  of  any  importance. 

The  Columbia  fine  sandy  loam  type  is  confuied  to  the  flood  plain 
of  the  Columbia  River,  and  occurs  on  both  sides  of  that  stream.  On 
the  Washington  side  of  the  river  there  is  but  a  single  area  near  Bingen, 
while  on  the  Oregon  side  areas  are  numerous,  though  only  small  areas 
occur  east  of  the  mouth  of  the  Hood  River. 

None  of  this  type  is  more  than  a  few  feet  above  the  usual  level  of 
the  streams.  The  land  rises  from  the  water's  edge  with  a  gentle  slope, 
broken  only  by  occasional  sloughs.  The  drainage  of  the  type  is  good 
to  deficient,  depending  upon  the  elevation  of  the  surface  above  the 
general  level  of  the  water.  Some  of  the  lower  lying  areas  are  subject 
to  overflow  durmg  periods  of  high  water. 

The  type  is  made  up  of  sediments  carried  by  the  stream  during 
flood  periods.  Some  of  the  material  has  probably  been  transported 
great  distances  and  is  derived  from  a  variety  of  quartz-bearing  and 
quartz-free  rocks.  Mmgled  with  this  is  some  basaltic  material 
derived  from  regions  adjacent  to  the  survey. 


HOOD  RIVER-WHITE   SALMON    RIVER  AREA. 


43 


Originally  all  the  type  was  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  cotton- 
wood,  willow,  alder,  and  underbrush,  and  over  most  of  its  area  this 
growth  still  remains.  Occasional  areas  of  the  soil  are  devoted  to  grain 
or  various  tilled  crops.  The  ease  with  which  it  may  be  cultivated  and 
the  abundance  of  moisture  make  it  a  valuable  soil  for  truck  and  forage 
crops. 

The  followmg  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  the 
soil  and  subsoil  of  this  type: 

Mechanical  ayialyses  of  Columbia  fine  sandy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
sand. 

Medium 
sand. 

Fine 
sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

560G27 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
0.2 

Per  cent. 

0.7 

Per  cent. 

0.7 

.1 

Per  cent. 
19.0 
15.4 

Per  cent. 
52.1 
42.2 

Per  cent. 
24.0 
34.3 

Per  cent. 
3.4 

560628 

Subsoil 

.0               .0 

7.8 

RIVERWASH. 


Riverwash  includes  the  sand  and  gravel  beds  in  the  Columbia  and 
Hood  River  flood  plains.  At  the  mouth  of  Hood  River,  and  in  various 
places  along  its  course,  this  type  often  consists  merely  of  beds  of 
waterworn  cobbles,  gravel,  and  sand,  but  along  the  south  bank  of 
the  Columbia  River  it  includes  extensive  deposits  of  a  grayish  to 
yellowish  fine  sand.  The  areas  lie  but  little  above  the  usual  level  of 
the  water  in  the  streams,  and  in  the  spring  practically  all  of  them  are 
under  water. 

Owing  to  the  danger  of  overflow  and  the  usual  light,  gravelly  nature 
of  this  type,  it  has  no  agricultural  value. 

SUMMARY. 

The  Hood  River-White  Salmon  River  area  comprises  about  226 
square  miles,  or  144,640  acres,  in  and  adjoining  the  Hood  River  Valley 
in  the  State  of  Oregon  and  the  Wliite  Salmon  River  Valley  in  the 
State  of  Washington. 

The  former  part  of  the  area  lies  in  Hood  River  County  in  the  north- 
central  part  of  Oregon.  The  limits  of  the  agricultural  part  of  the 
valley  are  marked  by  the  character  or  degree  of  slope  and  by  the  ele- 
vation of  the  surrounding  mountains.  All  of  this  part  of  the  area 
lies  within  the  drainage  basin  of  the  Hood  River  and  its  tributaries. 

The  larger  part  of  the  Hood  River  Valley  is  made  up  of  elevated 
stream  terraces  and  plateaulike  areas,  the  surface  of  which  varies 
from  smooth  and  sloping  to  slightly  rolling.  The  hill  and  mountain 
soils  rise  directly  from  the  floor  of  the  valley  and  have  a  surface 
varying  from  moderately  to  steeply  sloping. 


44  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF    THE   BUREAU    OF    SOILS,   11)12. 

All  of  the  Hood  River  Valley  section  of  the  area  was  originally 
covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  fir  and  pine.  Although  the  larger 
part  of  the  hill  and  mountain  slopes  remain  in  forest,  the  comparatively 
level  soils  of  the  valley  have  been  largely  cleared  and  the  land  devoted 
to  cultivated  crops. 

The  "\Miite  Salmon  River  Valley  lies  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State 
of  Washington,  in  both  Klickitat  and  Skamania  Counties,  and  is 
separated  from  the  Hood  River  Valley  section  by  the  Columbia  River. 
This  part  of  the  area  is  drained  by  the  Wliito  Salmon  River  and  tribu- 
tary streams.  The  larger  part  of  this  section  of  the  area  is  made  up 
of  the  mountain  slopes.  The  suitableness  of  the  land  for  cultivation 
is  governed  by  the  degree  of  slope  and  the  depth  of  soil.  An  irregular 
belt  of  soil  along  the  White  Salmon  River,  lying  at  varying  eleva- 
tions above  the  level  of  the  stream,  supports  the  oldest  and  most 
extensive  agricultural  development  in  this  part  of  the  area. 

Hood  River  is  the  largest  town  in  the  Hood  River  Valley  section, 
and  Wliite  Salmon  is  the  prmcipal  town  of  that  part  of  the  area 
lying  north  of  the  Columbia. 

Transportation  is  furnished  by  lines  of  railroads  along  both  banks 
of  the  Columbia  River,  and  by  a  number  of  steamers  which  ])ly 
betw^een  The  Dalles  and  Portland. 

The  clmiate  is  characterized  by  moderately  cool  summers  and 
mild  \\Tnters.  The  annual  rainfall  averages  about  40  inches.  The 
average  velocity  of  the  wind  is  high,  but  destructive  wdnds  are 
vinknown. 

The  first  settlers  were  interested  largely  hi  stock  grazing,  but  as 
the  j)opulation  increased  the  land  was  cleared  and  devoted  to  a 
number  of  cultivated  crops.  The  success  which  attended  the  grow- 
ing of  fruits  has  led  to  a  steady  development  of  that  branch  of  agri- 
culture, and  at  the  present  time  practically  the  only  agricultural 
export  consists  of  apples  and  strawberries.  The  development  has 
been  most  rapid  in  the  Hood  River  Valley,  as  transportation  facil- 
ities m  that  part  of  the  area  have  been  adequate  for  many  years.     . 

Irrigation  is  practiced  over  a  large  part  of  the  soils  in  the  Hood 
River  Valley,  the  waters  being  diverted  from  the  forks  of  the  Hood 
River.  In  the  White  Salmon  Valley  only  a  small  part  of  the  land 
in  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the  area  is  irrigated,  and,  owing  to 
the  difficulties  of  obtaining  water  for  the  larger  part  of  this  valley, 
it  is  doubtful  whether  any  considerable  area  will  ever  be  irrigated. 

Land  values  in  both  vaUeys  are  rather  high. 

The  soils  hi  these  valleys  are  either  residual,  glacial,  or  idhivial. 
Sixteen  types  have  been  recognized  and  mapjjed. 

In  the  residual  group  three  types  are  recognized — the  loam  and 
stony  loam  members  of  the  Underwood  series  and  Rough  stony  land. 
The  Underwood  soils  are  by  far  the  most  extensive  m  the  area  and 


HOOD    RIVER-WHITE    SALMON    RIVER    AREA.  45 

occupy  the  hill  and  mountain  slopes.  The  larger  part  of  their  area 
is  forested.     The  Rough  stony  land  is  a  nonagricultural  type. 

The  glacial  group  includes  the  Rockford  and  Parkdale  series. 
The  Rockford  series  is  represented  by  two  tyj^es — a  stony  clay  loam, 
includmg  an  eroded  phase,  and  a  clay.  The  loam  is  the  only  soil 
of  the  Parkdale  series  in  this  area. 

The  Hood  sOt  loam  is  the  only  representative  of  its  series,  and 
consists  of  a  water-laid  sedimentary  soil  derived  from  fine  glacial 
material.     It  is  one  of  the  most  important  soils  of  the  area. 

The  alluvial  soils  comprise  three  series — the  Wind  River,  Columbia , 
and  Winans — and  the  miscellaneous  type,  Riverwash.  Of  the  Wind 
River  series,  the  stony  loam,  gravelly  sandy  loam,  sandy  loam,  loam, 
and  fine  sandy  loam  members  are  mapped.  These  soils  are  of  con- 
siderable importance.  The  Columbia  series  is  represented  only  by 
the  Columbia  fine  sandy  loam  and  the  Winans  series  by  the  grav- 
elly sandy  loam  and  the  loam,  neither  of  which  are  extensive. 
Riverwash  is  an  unimportant  type,  consistuig  of  sand  and  gravel 
deposits. 

o 


mi   n]!i  n3i  mif  si  a;  if^ 


tl   EDfi   m?! 


if    C3    rD: 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


[Public  Resolution — No.  9.] 

JOINT  RESOLUTION  Amending  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty-sLxth  Congress,  second 
session,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  "providing  for  the  printing 
annually  of  the  report  on  field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture." 

Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of  America  in 
Congress  assembled,  That  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty-sixth  Congress, 
second  session,  approved  February  twenty- third ,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  be 
amended  by  striking  out  all  after  the  resolving  clause  and  inserting  in  lieu  thereof 
the  following: 

That  there  shall  be  printed  ten  thousand  five  hundred  copies  of  the  report  on  field 
operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture,  of  which  one  thousand 
live  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  Senate,  three  thousand  copies  for  the 
use  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  six  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture:  Provided,  That  in  addition  to  the  number  of  copies  above  pro- 
.\'ided  for  there  shall  be  printed  as  soon  as  the  manuscript  can  be  prepared,  with  the 
necessary  maps  and  illustrations  to  accompany  it,  a  report  on  each  area  surveyed,  in 
the  form  of  advance  sheets,  bound  in  paper  covers,  of  which  five  hundred  copies  shall 
be  for  the  use  of  each  Senator  from  the  State,  two  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  each 
Representative  for  the  congressional  district  or  districts  in  which  the  survey  is  made, 
and  one  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture. 

Approved,  March  14,  1904. 

JOu  July  1,  1901,  the  Division  of  Soils  was  reorganized  as  the  Bureau  of  Soils.] 


<NV 


